The Flames of War
by christos200
Summary: 'The Flames of War' is set a few months after the events of 'The Force Awakens'. A childhood friend of Rey proves to be trouble for the Resistance. Admiral Char and his fleet threaten to crush the Resistance and the New Republic with their ingenious military tactics. Ambition and friendship, love and duty clash in this Galactic conflict. Will Char choose love or power and glory?
1. Taking the initiative

'The Flames of War' is set a few months after the events of 'The Force Awakens'. An old childhood friend of Rey proves to be trouble for the Resistance. Admiral Char and his fleet threaten to crush the Resistance with their ingenious military tactics. Rey will appear in later chapters. This has been partly inspired by military science fiction, so military tactics and battles will be focused greatly in first few chapters of the story.

* * *

 **Star Wars**

 **The Flames of War**

 **War! The First Order has been waging a deadly war against the New Republic and the Resistance for months. Many ferocious battles have been fought, leaving tens of thousands of dead civilians and ruined cities behind them.**

 **A stalemate has been reached as neither side can gain the decisive advantage needed to defeat its enemy. With Kylo Ren and Rey both training under their respective Masters, both sides have to rely on their military leaders alone and not on Force users.**

 **In a remote region of the Outer Rim a Star Destroyer is on a scouting mission, searching for any presence of the Resistance. Until now, it has only seen minor action but this is soon going to change…**

 _Chapter 1 – Taking the initiative_

The thousands of bright stars and planets gleamed in the pitched black background of space. Suddenly, a menacing shadow overshadowed one of the smaller planets. It was the shadow of a Star Destroy traveling in space. The sound of its engines was the only sound that could be heard in the silent and empty coldness of the Outer Rim. Inside the Star Destroy, in an office, a man was signing some papers on his desk. The man was wearing a grey officers' uniform, which consisted of a double-breasted tunic with a round collar and matching trousers, a pair of black boots, a belt and a command cap. The officer was twenty-one years old, with shaggy hair, brown eyes, fine, manly physique and handsome, well-proportioned features.

Char Bright, as was his name, had trained in the Officers Academy of the First Order. When he was a cadet, he was expecting to fight epic battles and face dangerous and challenging enemies. But he never expected that his most terrifying enemy would be bureaucracy: paperwork and signing of orders. He had seen only minor action and so did not have much battle experience aside from simulations and reading books on military strategy. He had been assigned as "Logistics Officer", looking after food and fuel. That was an important office, but not a very exciting one. Not to mention all the paperwork he had to do.

'If only I had a chance to prove myself on the battlefield, I would show them what I am capable of.' That was his constant thought. Char was a very ambitious person, constantly seeking glory and recognition. But he still had neither of them.

As he was signing a document concerning the resupply of the ship with fuel, the door knocked.

"Who is it?", Char asked.

"Officer Max!", the man replied.

"Come in."

Max Kraen, a thin young officer with short blonde hair, blue eyes and a handsome face, walked into the office and saluted Char.

"What is it that you want, Max?"

"Sir, the Admiral wants to see you. He awaits you on his office."

Char remained silent for a moment, thinking as for what reason the Admiral would want him. "Do you know why he asks for me?"

"No, sir, but he seemed a bit nervous to me."

"Alright, I will be going right away."

Char signed two more papers before getting up from his chair and walking out of his office. He headed towards the Admiral's office. Admiral Maar was an experienced military officer who had seen lot of action. Although by himself not impressive, being short and somewhat fat, he had fought more battles than the vast majority of First Order officers. He was in his early sixties, and so much older than most other officers, but he more than made up with his long experience and daring tactics. He had taken command of the 'Conqueror', as was the Star Destroyer's name, only two months ago. He usually commanded whole fleets of Star Destroyers but he was given this minor command due to the machinations of his political enemies. But, as the war between the First Order and the New Republic was getting more and more costly, Snoke had ordered General Hux to bring Maar back to the main fleet.

Char entered the Admiral's office and saluted him. "Sir, what can I do for you?"

Maar smiled, although Char could see that he was a bit nervous. "General Hux has requested that I am to be brought back to the main fleet. That means that you will have to be temporary Admiral of this Star Destroyer."

"Me?!". Char was totally surprised by this, in a good way of course. At last, he had his own independent command. A smile appeared on his face.

"I know that you are not much experienced, but for a short amount of time you will be in command here. Of course, this is only temporary and soon the central command shall send a more experienced officer to take command here."

Hearing this, Char could not help but feel disappointed. He immediately ceased smiling but he did not dare express his disappointment and tried his best to hide it.

"Your mission will be to scout the area for any presence of the Resistance.", Maar continued. "Do not engage in combat under any circumstances. Your forces are meagre and cannot hope to battle the Resistance. If you find anything, report it immediately to the headquarters. Do you understand, soldier?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good." Maar sighed. "I cannot help but feel a bit nervous letting this Star Destroyer being commanded by a rookie like you, but I hope that you will not let me down."

"I will do my best not to disappoint you, sir! Rest assured that I will follow your instructions."

"I hope so….."

A few hours later, Maar left the Star Destroyer on his Tie Fighter and Char moved to the Bridge to assume command. From there, he could see the vast blackness of space and the thousands of gleaming stars. As he was gazing at them, Max asked him, "Sir, what are your orders?"

"Send out five Tie Fighters to scout the area. They will be able to scout far more territory and do it far faster that the 'Conqueror'."

"But…" Now it was Max who was feeling nervous. "Sir, sending Tie Fighters to scout can be risky. If they are spotted by the enemy, they will surely get shot down before transmitting us the enemy's location and this could give time to the enemy to prepare their defenses. On the other hand, while a Star Destroyer is slower, it cannot be shot down easily even if spotted by the enemy and thus can both transmit the enemy's location to the headquarters and defend itself until reinforcements arrive."

"In war, the one who is willing to take the more risks usually emerges victorious.", Char retorted. "The Tie Fighters are too small to be spotted by the enemy while a Star Destroyer cannot be possibly missed. So, if we are to maintain the element of surprise, sending out Tie Fighters is the best option."

Max sighed. He disapproved of taking risky decisions but since Char was now in command, he could not disobey his orders. "Send out five Tie Fighters for scouting!", he shouted.

"Yes, sir!", one of the officers replied and transmitted the order to the pilots. Although a bit surprised to hear this command, the pilots quickly rushed to the hangar, jumped into their Tie Fighters and soon launched from the hangar into space.

"The Tie Fighters should be send each in a different direction and be spread out to cover more territory.", Char said.

Max, although hesitant, obeyed the command and gave the order. He then said, "Excuse me Admiral, but since you do not have much battle experience, would it not be better if you followed less risky tactics? Simulations and books are one thing, living enemy is totally another."

"When you don't take risks, you cannot make the difference. And I want to make the difference. Do you understand that, officer?"

Char had grown tired of Max and his 'whining' and so the tone of his voice was strict and stern. Max knew that angering your superior was never a good idea, so he just smiled and said, "I understand."

Suddenly, one of the officers shouted, "Sir, James has spotted an X-Wing class fighter. He awaits your orders!"

James was one of the pilots Char had sent out to scout. He was an experienced pilot, having fought in many dogfights and having shot down countless X-Wings. So Char was confident of his abilities.

"No X-Wing can go this deep into space on its own. There must be a Resistance base nearby.", Char said. "Officer, tell James to follow the X-Wing, but maintain a long distance so that he is not spotted. If he is spotted, there goes the element of surprise. So make sure to tell him not to get too close to the X-Wing."

The officer repeated Char's commands to James. While he was doing that, a grinning Char turned to Max and said, "See, my tactics work."

James slowed down the speed of his Tie Fighter as soon as he got his orders and tried to maintain a distance to the X-Wing. If he was too fast, he would be spotted. If he was too slow, he would lose the enemy and then he could lose the only trail leading to the enemy base. So James was in a difficult spot, even for an experienced pilot like himself.

'I sure hope the enemy base is somewhere near for I do not believe I will be able to follow for much longer that X-Wing without getting spotted.', James thought.

James followed the X-Wing, only to see it approach a large asteroid and landing into an opening on its right side, where a hangar was constructed. This seemed to him like a major Resistance military base, but he could not tell much about its defenses for he feared that if he approached any further, he would be discovered by the enemy.

He transmitted this to the communications officer who informed Char. "Sir, James said that there is a Resistance base in an asteroid on coordinates 17:01 on AK-89 Region. It seems like a major military installation. Should we inform the headquarters?"

"No.", Char replied. He knew that if he told the headquarters about this, they would most likely send another commander along with other Star Destroyers to attack the base. This would be the easier way to take out the Resistance base, but it would strip him of a chance to gain military glory. If he could destroy this military base by himself, he would surely impress enough his superiors to persuade them to name him permanent Admiral of the Star Destroyer. "Tell James to maintain his distance from the base and not do anything to risk the operation. We will soon be attacking."

"What?!", Max shouted, not able to withhold his anger and frustration anymore. "This is a direct violation of Admiral Maar's orders! Not to say that our forces are meagre and any attack against such a well-fortified Resistance base is doomed to failure."

"I am in command now, not Maar. And as long as I am in command, you will follow _my_ orders. Or I will have you court-marshalled for insubordination. Now, tell me, do you prefer to follow my orders or to be shot by me?"

Max struggled to maintain his composure, but he finally calmed down and gave up. Anyway, even if the attack was a disaster, it would be Char's fault, not his. He had done all he could to prevent this disastrous plan. "I understand, Admiral.", he said, resigning to his fate.

"Good.", Char replied. "Now, order the crew to prepare for combat and get the 'Conqueror' near James' position. But do not go near the base. Maintain a long distance to avoid being detected. We shall not attack immediately with the Star Destroyer."

"What strategy do you propose?"

"Well, the sensors of the Resistance and the New Republic are built to spot Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters. They shall not be able to detect a small group of people in space suits sneaking into the base. We will be too small for them to detect us."

Max sighed. "So, if I understand correct, you and a few men in space suits are going to float in space, reach the asteroid by yourselves and sneak into the base?"

"Yes. The space suits will provide us oxygen for long enough to reach the base."

"But as the Star Destroyer will maintain some distance so as to not be spotted, you might not have enough time to reach the base and run out of oxygen."

"Well, that's a risk I am willing to take."

Max could not tell if Char was a madman or simply an idiot. At the very least, if he died before reaching the base, Max could cancel this whole crazy operation.

"When I sneak into the base, I shall deactivate the sensors and the defenses and then I will give you the signal to launch the attack. They will not know what hit them!", Char said, unable to hide his excitement for this operation. He could at last prove his worth. "Once we reach our destination, call James to the Bridge."

"Yes, sir."

The Star Destroyer sped forward into space, soon reaching James' position. James' Tie Fighter flied back to the Conqueror's hangar and James rushed to the Bridge.

"I'm here, sir!", James said as soon as he reached the Bridge and saluted Char.

"You are an experienced soldier, so I want you to come with me on a dangerous mission. Gather four more men, the best we have. We are going into space with space suits."

James grinned. "I know what your plan is, sir. It is going to be dangerous, but I love challenges."

"Good to hear that. Get the men and we shall meet in the airlock."

When James left the Bridge, Char turned to Max and said, "Remember, under no condition are you to attack before getting a signal from me. Although you are not an experienced officer, I am sure you can handle the task of attacking the base once I give you the signal, right?"

"Right…". He tried to sound firm and confident, but even he himself doubted his ability to perform this task. But he had a duty and he would not prove himself inferior to the task at hand.

"Relax; I am sure you will do fine. Now, I've got to go!"

Char rushed to his room and equipped himself with a space suit. Most people rarely used space suits to float into space, as they could provide oxygen for only a limited period of time and so it was quite risky. As soon as he wore that suit, he rushed to the airlock. There, James and four other men, all wearing space suits, waited for him.

"James, open the airlock!", Char ordered. "We are going into space."

James pressed a few buttons on the right side of the airlock and it opened. One after the other, the brave group of men floated into the black pitched wilderness of space.

"We must reach the asteroid as fast as possible or this will be our last military operation.", Char said.

The men tried to move forward as fast as possible, but the space suits were slow and the oxygen was being depleted. Agony and fear took hold of the men, but they knew that it was too late to back down. Just when the oxygen was going to be completely depleted, they reached the opening of the asteroid where the hangar was build. And to their astonishment, they saw four huge cannons guarding the hangar.

"Why are they not firing?!", James shouted. "I am sure that they should have spotted us by now."

Char laughed. "If they were manned by soldiers, they would have already spotted us. But those are automated cannons and their sensors, as well as the perimeter sensors of the base, cannot spot small objects. They are built to locate Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters, not a few men in space suits. I guess their engineer never thought that someone would be crazy enough to approach an enemy base in a space suit without any ship backing him up."

So, the group made its way into the hangar. As soon as they touched the ground, they quickly run and hid behind an X-Wing. They saw six Resistance soldiers walking in the hangar and patrolling the area.

'That's fitting.' Char thought, smiling. 'We wanted six Resistance uniforms and now we got them.'

"Make a sound.", Char ordered and James hit the X-Wing with his fist.

"What's this?", one of the Resistance soldiers wondered.

"It came from behind that X-Wing.", another said. "Let's go check it."

As soon as they approached, Char and his men grabbed them and slit their throats with a laser knife. They then removed their space suits and wore the uniforms of the dead Resistance fighters. Now, dressed as Resistance fighters, they could make their way into the base.

As they were walking, they saw that tens of fighters were in the base. They were trying to avoid talking with anyone, in fear of being recognized. If they were discovered, it would mean certain death for them for it would be impossible to escape from a military base with so many troops.

'I wonder where the main computer is…', Char thought. 'If I can find it, I will be able to shut down the sensors and the cannons.'

Suddenly, a Resistance soldier shouted to Char, "Hey you! Wait a moment!"

Char's heart skipped a beat. 'Damn, we have been discovered!'

"What is it?", he said with a smile, trying to hide his fear.

"I want you to go to the main computer and upload this program.", the man said and gave to Char a disk. "It will enhance the sensors. The officer asked me to do it, but I have a date with Shelysa and … you know… anyway, it's a pretty simple task so it is not like you will have to do much. In two minutes it will be over. I would really appreciate if you could help me."

Char tried very hard to keep himself from laughing. 'Luck is on my side, it seems.'

"Very well, I'll do it but where the main computer is?"

"It's third room on the left on corridor A7. Here is the card to open the door."

The man gave the card to Char and left with a smile in his face.

"I will go on my own to the computer's room.", Char whispered to James. "You and your men just hang around and try not to look suspicious."

"I'll do my best, sir."

Char walked slowly to corridor A7 and got to the third room. He used the card to open the door and saw that there were two guards armed with rifles in the room.

"The commander has requested that you go meet him. Don't know what he wants, but it seems urgent.", Char said. "I will remain here and guard the computer for you."

The guards were surprised to hear this command but this guy had a card, which only the commander had, and so he could not be joking.

"Very well.", one of them said. "We will be going. Make sure no one gets in."

"Don't worry. Everything will be under control."

As soon as the guards left, Char inserted a computer spike into the computer. This allowed him to hack the computer and deactivate the sensors and the cannons. "All too easy!", he commented. He then activated a comlink and said, "Do you read me?"

The communications officer of the 'Conqueror' quickly replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Good. The mission was a success. Order Max to attack now!"

The officer quickly relayed Char's message to Max.

"Impossible!", he shouted, astonished by the success. "I cannot believe it! Set course for the asteroid. Inform all pilots to prepare for battle."

The Star Destroyer soon reached the asteroid base. Seeing the base before him, Max shouted, "Pilots, go on the Tie Fighters and launch an attack!"

Tens of Tie Fighters launched from the hangar and flew right into the hangar, firing with their laser beams at the X-Wings, decimating the entire Resistance air force even before it was able to take off. So, even though the X-Wings outnumbered by far the Tie Fighters, they were not able to pose a threat to them. The Resistance soldiers patrolling the hangar were also killed by the tens, as they did not had even a slight chance against the superior firepower of the Tie Fighters.

"Send ground troops!", Max ordered and from the Star Destroyer troop carrier ships launched and landed onto the enemy hangar. Stormtroopers moved out of the ships and rushed forward, shooting at anything that moved. Although the Resistance soldiers were far superior in numbers, they were surprised by the attack and without any preparation at all while the Stormtroopers were battle ready and had the element of surprise. So, despite intense fighting, the Stormtroopers began pushing back the enemy soldiers and taking over one corridor after the other

Char, James and the other men rushed to the hangar, shouting "We are First Order, don't shoot."

Despite this, some Stormtroopers began firing at them but thankfully they were able to dodge the fire and an officer who recognized them ordered the Stormtroopers to stop firing at them.

Char let out a breath of relief. "That was close!", he commented. He then said to the officer, "I will be going back to the 'Conqueror'. Prepare a Tie Fighter for me."

"Yes, sir!"

The officer soon found a Tie Fighter stationed in the hangar and Char jumped into its cockpit and flew to the Star Destroyer. He quickly rushed to his room, as soon as he got to the ship, and changed back to his officers' uniform. He then walked to the Bridge and asked Max, "How are things going?"

"Excellent, sir! Our troops have made much progress and have captured almost the entirety of the base. Only a few pockets of resistance remain."

"Tell them to place explosives into the base and get out of there."

Max was confused. "Sir, aren't we going to keep the base?"

"No, we don't have enough troops to occupy it and I cannot waste troops in occupying a stupid rock. Just explode the base so it cannot be used by the Resistance anymore. That was our mission in the first place, to destroy the base."

Max transmitted the order to the troops and the Stormtroopers placed explosives all over the station. They then rushed to the hangar and began evacuating the base. As soon as the last soldier fled the base, the bombs exploded and the entire asteroid shook. Fire engulfed everything and burned alive the remaining Resistance soldiers. When the fire reached the weapon caches and armory of the Resistance, a second even stronger explosion rocked the place.

"Magnificent!", Char said, looking at the amazing spectacle of fire engulfing the base. "Great fireworks, worthy of our triumph."

"I have to be honest, sir.", Max said. "At first, I believed that you were a madman but now I am totally persuaded that you are an excellent commander. I put my faith in you, Admiral!"

Char smiled. Maybe the greatest achievement of this day was not his victory over the Resistance but the fact that he had gained the trust of his officers and the adoration of his men. That was something much harder to achieve. He ordered Max to report the news to General Hux while he went to him room. He lied on his bed, closed his eyes and soon fell asleep. It was a tiring day for him.

Two hours later, Max knocked the door. "Sir, you are wanted by General Hux. Come to the Communications Room."

Hearing this, Char quickly got up and rushed to the Communications Room, hoping to hear good news. As soon as he entered the room, he activated the hologram projector and Hux appeared before him.

"Admiral Char, Officer Max informed me of the situation. You were only a temporary commander and with strict orders not to engage in combat. But you disobeyed that command, right?"

Char was taken a bit aback by the strict tone of Hux, but confidently replied, "Yes. When I located the enemy base, I knew that it was critical to take the initiative and take them out as soon as possible. I could not wait for further orders or reinforcements, lest the opportunity to destroy the enemy slipped from my hands."

"Good. I like military commanders with independent thought and bold strategies who can achieve victories for the First Order. You shall be permanent Admiral of the 'Conqueror' and the scouting mission is to be turned into a cleansing of the area from Resistance bases mission. Bring me more military victories and you shall get rapid promotions."

"Yes, sir!", Char said and saluted Hux. "I will not fail you!"

Char now had the chance to further prove himself. He was determined to get to the top of the First Order's military hierarchy. And he was going to achieve this goal, no matter what the cost or what tactics he needed to use to achieve it. No one was going to get in his way, and certainly not the Resistance.


	2. Flanking maneuvers

_Chapter 2 – Flanking maneuvers_

A Star Destroyer, the 'Conqueror', floated through the emptiness of space. A dozen pod-like objects descended from the docking bay and blasted off in separate directions. One of the pods found its way to a green planet; a red flame streaked through the sky before the intruder slammed into the planet's surface, coughing up smoke and debris. As the dust cleared, a robot emerged from the crater. The robot was actually a First Order probe droid. It immediately began its search for the Resistance.

It took it only a few hours to find out the existence of a fortified Resistance military base in this jungle world of Anthora, as was the planet's name. The military base was heavily fortified, with a series of trenches surrounding the base and huge laser cannons all over the base, as well as tens of anti-aircraft guns. The combination of trenches and heavy artillery would be enough to halt the advance of most armies. The droid could see thousands of soldiers in the base's perimeter, all equipped with rifles. As it was recording this scene and sending the images to the 'Conqueror', it was suddenly shot down by a Resistance soldier who spotted it.

On the 'Conqueror', Char and Max where waiting for the results of probe droids' search. The communications officer, Michael, announced to Char, "Sir, the probe droid in the jungle world of Anthora has been shot down, but it managed to send us images of a strong fortified position of the Resistance. There seem to be an awful lot soldiers in that base. I am sure that they outnumber us."

"So much for surprise….", Char murmured.

"Shall we bomb it to oblivion?", Max asked.

"No!", Michael intervened. "From the images the probe droid sent, it seems that the base has a quite a lot of anti-aircraft guns. It will be a slaughter if we send Tie Fighters to bomb them."

"Indeed.", Char said. "We will need to launch a ground assault, if we are going to defeat them. We are going to land on some distance from the base and encamp there. I need to know more about the terrain and the location of the enemy base before launching an attack. We should not be hasty, for from the images it seems that we are outnumbered."

"Prepare for landing!", Max shouted and the Star Destroyer entered Anthora's atmosphere. As the jungle was too thick for the ship to land, Max asked Char for further instructions.

"Have the Star Destroyer to fly as low as possible and tell the troops to use parachutes to land onto the jungle.", Char ordered.

Indeed, the Stormtroopers equipped themselves with parachutes and jumped from the Star Destroyer onto the jungle. Boxes containing supplies and weapons were also thrown on the jungle with parachutes.

'I just hope that the enemy will not launch an assault now that our troops are disorganized due to the landing.', Char thought as he was jumping too from the Star Destroyer onto the ground.

Thankfully, for Char, the enemy commander, Nathalian, had no intention to launch an attack on the invading First Order troops. A tall, thin man in his fifties with a brown beard and a stern look, Nathalian was the commander of the Resistance military forces in Anthora. He was now in his office and talking to General Leia Organa through a hologram projector.

"General, the First Order has landed military forces here.", he said.

"And what is your strategy, Nathalian?", Leia asked. "Do they outnumber you? You should try to delay them until reinforcements arrive, but if the odds are against you and the situation is too critical, I give your permission to retreat."

Nathalian laughed. "General, I do not need any reinforcements at all. Not only do I outnumber them by two to one, but my defenses are exceptionally strong. I have dug trenches and the cannons and anti-aircraft guns shall offer protection to our troops. It will be a slaughter for the First Order. No one can take over this base with so few soldiers. I shall avenge our fallen comrades and score a great victory against the First Order."

"I hope you are right. In any case, never underestimate the enemy."

Meanwhile, the Stormtroopers had created a temporary defensive perimeter around the spot where they had landed and placed machine guns all over that perimeter to protect themselves from a possible Resistance attack. Inside the perimeter, the troops had set tents and were storing the boxes containing supplies.

Inside a tent, Char, Max and a few other officers were discussing on what they should do to capture the Resistance base. Char knew that if he could defeat the Resistance on Anthora, he would be promoted and more Star Destroyers and troops would be assigned to him. But his forces were meagre and he had only a few tanks under his command.

"We need to send probe droids to further scan the terrain and report to us the topography of the area.", Char said. "We need to see if there is any weakness which we can exploit, so as to avoid launching a direct assault, which would surely be a disaster."

"I agree with you, sir.", Max said. "Although I have a feeling this is a battle we cannot win."

He then turned to an officer and shouted, "Officer, sent the probe droids to scan the area."

Indeed, tens of probe droids were sent in different directions and were able to scout a huge amount of area. A few hours later, when the sun was setting, Michael reported to Char and Max the results of the scouting.

"Sir, it seems that the trees near the military base have been mostly cut down by the Resistance soldiers, probably during the construction of the base. So the terrain will not be much of a problem, but the defenses seem to be too strong. There are trenches surrounding the base and too many cannons. There seems to be only one weak spot: on the far right side of the base, there is a marsh. Not many troops are stationed there, but it seems unpassable. Our tanks and vehicles would most likely be stuck on the muddy water."

Char thought for a moment and then finally ordered, "Tomorrow morning, send the majority of the troops in a direct assault on the base. The tanks and the elite troops will follow me through the marsh. We will strike there, where there are few soldiers guarding the place, and outflank the enemy. A combined attack from both sides and the surprise caused by the breaching of their defenses should be enough to cause a collapse of the enemy defense."

"But, sir, it is too risky!", Max protested. "If the tanks do not make it through the marsh and get stuck, our soldiers attacking on the front will be slaughtered. Not to say that according to most textbooks, in order to defeat an entrenched enemy you must have the numerical advantage while we are outnumbered by the enemy."

"Relax. Remember how you thought it was impossible to take over the asteroid base and yet we did it? The same thing will happen here too."

Max reluctantly nodded in agreement and gave the orders to the men. They were to rest for a few hours and then they would launch their attack as soon as the sun appeared on the sky of Anthora. Few were able to sleep. Most of them were too nervous about the upcoming battle. They knew that the odds were against them and that the enemy defenses were too strong, but they had faith that their commander would grant another victory. Char was their only hope. Char was even more nervous. A defeat would most likely put an end to his career.

On the morning of the next day, the troops ate breakfast as fast as they could, equipped themselves with blasters and began marching towards the enemy base. They had minimal artillery and the cannons were reserved for the surprise attack of Char on the western side of the base. Neither did they have aerial support, as Char did not want to waste Tie Fighters on an attack on the base, knowing that the anti-aircraft guns of the Resistance would decimate his air force.

The troops marched forward in perfect order, one line walking after the other, and walking slowly. Soon, they saw before them the trenches of the enemy base and the laser cannons. A "Fire!" shout was heard from the Resistance base and the laser cannons began firing at the Stormtroopers.

"Fall down!", Max, who was leading the attack on the front, ordered. The Stormtroopers fell on the ground, dodging the enemy fire. Still, some of them were killed.

"Stand up and ran!", Max shouted and the soldiers charged forward towards the trenches. The Resistance soldiers in the trenches fired with their rifles and some of them with machine guns, decimating the Stormtroopers. The laser cannons fired again and again at the First Order troops, blowing them by the tens. Bodies were dismembered; soldiers were losing arms, legs. Severed bodies lied all over the place. The shouting and the cries of the injured echoed all over the battlefield.

But some of the Stormtroopers managed to the make it to the trenches. They jumped into them and fired at the Resistance soldiers dug in. They returned the fire and a fierce battle ensued. Both Stormtroopers and Resistance fighters were beginning to use laser knifes, vibroblades and even rocks in their attempt to kill the enemy. Swords were stabbing enemy soldiers, rocks were used to crush the heads of the enemies. Blood flowed in the trenches and dead bodies piled up.

Meanwhile, Char was leading the tanks and elite troops to the marsh on the far right side of the base. 'If this does not work', Char thought, 'I am doomed. Hux will never forgive the loss of so many troops if I do not deliver him a victory. This battle will either mark my rise to power or my fall and complete failure.'

The tanks and troops under Char were moving slowly towards the marsh, not wanting to attract the attention of the enemy. As they were moving forward, Char spoke to Max through his comlink: "Max, do you read me?"

"Yes!", Max replied, although he struggled to hear Char because of all the explosions and battle cries echoing all over the battlefield.

"How are things going?"

"We have taken terrible loses. If the enemy does not soon collapses, we will be forced to retreat. But at least we too have caused them many casualties."

"Good. This will force them to bring more troops in the front and further weaken their defenses on the right side. I will be soon outflanking them."

While Char was leading his men, Nathalian was reporting to Leia.

"General, I am pleased to inform you that the battle has being going to our favor.", Nathalian said, grinning. "The enemy attacks are being repelled and they have taken great casualties. I told you that my defenses would be strong enough for any army."

"I am glad to hear that. Nevertheless, you must remain vigilant. I, somehow, have a bad feeling about this."

"You worry too much General. The enemy army will be totally smashed by the end of the day."

While Nathalian was speaking, in the marsh the tanks attempted to cross the muddy water and drive into the enemy base, but some of them got stuck. Meanwhile, mosquitos, snakes and the lush vegetation slowed the progress of the ground troops.

"Dammit!", Char shouted. "Just what I needed… Troops push the tanks! Use all your strength!"

The troops began pushing the tanks and were trying to unstuck them. They were sweating and exhausted. The fact that they were wearing helmet and heavy uniform in the hot tropical terrain of Anthora certainly did not help. They were being pushed to the limit of their physical abilities and were on the verge of collapse. But they knew that if they failed, they would all be killed. So they put all their strength in the work at hand and managed to unstuck the tanks from the mud.

"Good!", Char commented. "Now, launch the attack!"

The few Resistance soldiers near the marsh were terrified to see tanks and elite Stormtroopers charging at them. Their faces turned pale white and they ran away in fear. The strike force continued its march, soon reaching the first real defensive line of the enemy. Although there were trenches dug in the ground, they were undermanned as the majority of men had been sent to reinforce the frontal defenses, and the few laser cannons were no much for the heavy First Order tanks. A squad of elite Stormtroopers cleansed the trenches from enemies by using grenades and flamethrowers, incinerating tens of enemy soldiers.

Char could not help but smile at the sight of the enemy running away. "My plan is a success!" he shouted and began laughing. The whole western front collapsed and the tanks and Stormtroopers were able to outflank the enemy units defending the front of the base and attack them with fury. Their wish to avenge their fallen comrades empowered the fighting abilities of the First Order troops while the Resistance soldiers were surprised and terrified by the sudden appearance of this new enemy force behind their backs, when they had already taken so many casualties and were on the verge of collapse, and they soon retreated. The retreat was disorganized and turned into a full scale rout. Every man was for himself and the entire defense collapsed.

Nathalian was in his office, attempting to report the new situation to Leia, when Stormtroopers broke into the base itself. They fired with their blasters at anything moving and their grenades caused huge explosions which shook the base. Fire engulfed everything and burned enemy officers and troops. A group of Stormtroopers headed straight to Nathalian's office. They barged in, blowing up the door, and shot the commander upon sight. Char walked into the office, accompanied by a few guards, and saw the hologram of a terrified Leia.

"Madam, I am glad to meet you.", he said, smiling. "I am Char Bright, Admiral of the 'Conqueror'. I am pleased to inform you that commander Nathalian has been killed and now this base is under the control of the First Order. Next time, do not place your troops under the command of such an arrogant and incompetent officer."

He then turned off the hologram projector and ordered an officer, "Order the elite troops to hunt down and kill as many of the retreating enemies. The more enemies they kill, the better."

At that moment, an excited Max rushed into the room. "You've made it!", Max shouted. "That was awesome. We actually managed to defeat a far larger force entrenched in a strongly fortified position."

"See, we can achieve anything with the right tactics."

Char remained silent for a moment and then continued, "Max, go inform General Hux of the victory here. Make sure to tell him about how strong the enemy defenses were and how we were outnumbered."

"I will go right away, sir!"

With this victory, he would surely be further promoted. 'If I can achieve such victories with only so few men', Char thought, 'who knows what I can do with an entire fleet under my command? This battle may only be the beginning of my career. I am sure that I shall rise even higher and no one will be able to stop me from climbing to the top of the ranks. I will show them the difference that a genius can make on the battlefield.'

When he was a young boy in Jakku, no one could have predicted that he would become a victorious military commander. Although he was not poor, he wasn't rich either. He was excellent in mathematics when he was young, but no one could predict such a meteoric rise. When he left as a young man Jakku for the Officers Academy of the First Order, no one believed he would be admitted. But he proved them all wrong. And now he once again proved wrong those fellow officers who thought that Char was going to remain Admiral of a minor force.

Max reported to Hux the military victory and he requested Char to communicate with him. Char went to the communications room of the 'Conqueror' and the hologram of Hux appeared before him. Hux, smiling, said, "Your military victory in Anthora is quite impressive. You managed to cleanse the area from the Resistance, despite having inferior forces and having to face an entrenched enemy force. That was an impressive military feat. You actually managed to pull off a daring military maneuver and showed that you have both innovative military thought and that you are ready to take risks in order to bring down the enemy. I will assign you two more Star Destroyers, the 'Warrior' and the 'Prince'. Also, I shall give you more funds and increase the wages of the troops under your command. Your next mission will be to launch an offensive on the Hoth system, where there is large military presence of the New Republic."

"Thank you, sir! I shall not disappoint you!"

"I hope so. The Republic forces are more numerous and far better equipped than their Resistance counterparts and have better weapons and artillery. You will need all your military skill to defeat them. It will not be an easy campaign to win."

Char got what he wanted: more troops, further recognition and glory. If he continued scoring victories for the First Order, he would soon become famous all over the galaxy. The thought of him becoming as well known as Kylo Ren and General Hux instantly brought a smile to his face.

* * *

On Yavin IV, inside an ancient pyramid made of stone, Leia Organa was directing the forces of the Resistance. Although the New Republic was now openly at war with the First Order, the Resistance remained a separate force, even if it cooperated closely with Republic forces. Leia thought that it was fitting that the new headquarters of the Resistance were on the same place where the headquarters of the Rebel Alliance once were. Tens of officers were sitting on desks and typing on their computers, communicating with military forces across the galaxy and searching for information asked by Leia.

"General, we have the info you asked for.", one of the officers said.

"Which one?", Leia nonchalantly asked. She had been directing so many forces and asking for so much info that even she herself did not remember all of her orders. Being General of the Resistance was a tedious job that demanded all of her attention.

"On that First Order Admiral named Char Bright. The one who conquered Anthora."

"Tell me what you found out about him."

"It seems that he comes from Jakku. He enrolled to the Officers Academy of the First Order and was the best student in his class. He was appointed as 'Supplies Officer' for the Star Destroyer 'Conqueror' before becoming its Admiral. He has defeated twice our forces, despite having inferior to us forces."

"Jakku?", Leia repeated. "That's where Rey comes from… Is it possible that she knows this man?"

But she quickly dismissed the idea. Just because they came from the same planet, it does not mean that they would know each other. But the officer found Leia's suggestion to be a good idea.

"Why don't you ask her when she returns from her training with Luke? She might know something."

"I do not see a point in this, but I will do. There is no harm in asking about this, I suppose."

"Should we place a bounty on Char's head, General?"

Leia smiled. "No. He seems to be an able officer, but I think we are overestimating him. He commands only a minor force and has defeated only a few local garrisons. He has not proved himself in a large scale military campaign yet."

* * *

Char was in his room, lying on his bed after another tiring day, and thinking about his next military campaign. He was excited about it, and so were his troops. Although the casualties were great in the battle of Anthora, the fact that they had won against superior enemy forces and the increase in their wages made the men adore Char and unable to wait for their next victory.

'Who would have thought back in Jakku that I would be so successful?', he thought. This reminded him of his home planet; his parents and his friends. Among his childhood friends, the one with whom he spent most of the time was a young girl called Rey. She was three years younger than him and the way they met was completely accidental.

She was cleaning items brought by the scavengers to Unkar Plutt for a living at that time, as she was not old enough to scavenge by herself. Char had decided for once to accompany his parents to the market. They wanted to buy items from there, as doing so was cheaper than buying new ones. Rey was running, wanting to bring some more items she had cleaned to Unkar Plutt, while Char was looking around, trying to find if there was anything cool among the items on sale. As neither of them was particularly careful at that moment, they collided. Char quickly apologized to Rey and helped her got up. No one had been polite and kind to her before while Char was bored and wanted a friend to talk to, as he still did not have many friends due to his shy character. So the two young children soon became friends.

They played together all the time and Char was even helping Rey in her work. The two of them especially liked going to the sand dunes, lying on the sand and watching the night sky with the thousands of bright stars gleaming and the space ships taking off from the spaceport. Rey was telling Char the stories she had heard from pilots coming to the spaceport and both dreamed of leaving this planet and exploring the vast galaxy, of which they had heard so much.

However, Char had not seen for years Rey. When he became eighteen years old, he left Jakku for the Officers Academy of the First Order. Before leaving Jakku, Rey had given to him a talisman to symbolize their friendship. This talisman was actually one of the few items left to Rey from her parents. So close was their friendship. Char had kept it all those years, to remind himself of Rey and their friendship.

But Char quickly brushed aside those thoughts and began thinking of the glory he would gain if he defeated the Republican forces in Hoth. He had been told by Max that another First Order fleet had attempted to take over Hoth five month ago, but it failed miserably despite being numerically superior to the Republican forces. So, if he could achieve victory in Hoth, it would surely enhance his prestige. No fortress was going to stop his rise to power.


	3. Campaign in Hoth

Thanks for all the reviews.

 _Chapter 3 – Campaign in Hoth_

The sea seemed endless from the island. The waves splashed on the on the island's rocky and steep coast. Rey loved the sound of the sea. It helped her calm down. And being calm was a very important trait for a Jedi. Patience, peace of mind and calmness were necessary for someone hoping to become a Jedi. For the Jedi were not mere warriors. They were members of a spiritual order hoping to preserve peace in the galaxy. In fact, the first Jedi were monks.

Rey had been practicing for months under Luke. Luke was like a father to her. He was telling her stories about the old Jedi or his own adventures when he was still a young man fighting the Empire. He showed care for her, something which her real parents had not been able to do. Luke cared for Rey as if she was his daughter. He had been alone all those years on this island. His only companions before Ray were the birds in the sky, flying and chirping charming melodies.

As the sun was setting, painting the seemingly endless sea with a rosy like color, Rey was trying to dodge the laser fired by the small training remote droid of Luke and to reach her lightsaber. She fell on the ground, dodging the enemy fire, and crawled to the stone upon which Luke had placed her lightsaber. She quickly got up, picked it and dodged another enemy shot. She then activated her lightsaber and used it to deflect the enemy fire.

Luke smiled. "Excellent!", he said. "You have improved much in dodging and deflecting enemy fire. Although this skill is simple, it is essential for your survival. Remember, most enemies you will face are equipped with blasters and rifles, not lightsabers."

A smile appeared on her face.

"Thanks Master. I will do my best to improve even more."

"I am sure you will, but I believe you've trained enough for today. Let's rest a bit."

* * *

Rey followed Luke to the top of island's hill. They sat on the grass and looked at the endless expanse of water. No matter how many times she had watched it, the scenery always looked amazing. She gazed at the stars in the sky, which were being reflected on the water of the sea. From the top of this hill, the night sky always looked beautiful.

"I love watching the night sky.", Rey commented.

"Indeed. It easies your mind and makes you calm.", Luke replied.

"I used to do the same thing back in Jakku. Me and Char watched the stars together and thought about the vastness of the galaxy. "

"Char?". Although Luke had heard about Finn, this was the first time he heard from Rey about this Char.

"A childhood friend of mine from Jakku. It's been almost six years since I last saw him."

Rey could not help but smile remembering her time with him. "We were very good friends. We were always together, talking and playing and staring at the night sky. He was even helping me with some of my work."

"Where is he now?", Luke asked.

Rey sighed. "I don't know. He left Jakku to go study on an academy. He did not tell what exactly he was going to study but he promised to come back to Jakku when could. I hope that he is healthy and well so I can see him again one day. "

"I am sure he is fine and that you will meet him again."

"I hope so. He was a caring person, friendly, polite, always standing up to injustice and helping those in need. I wonder what he is doing right now."

* * *

Next morning, as soon as the bright sun appeared on the clear blue sky, Rey began her training, swinging her lightsaber left and right, amidst the tens of red and blue flowers whose fragrant scent was intoxicating. Her moves were fast but precise and strong. Her swift moves and the power behind each of her movements made her a difficult opponent to defeat. Her lightsaber skills had improved a lot since her duel with Kylo Ren.

Luke was sitting upon a large stone and watching carefully her movements, instructing her on how to move when needed and correcting her when she made mistakes. He had to admit that Rey had made huge progress and that soon she could return back to the Resistance. He was still indecisive as to if he was going to return with her or stay in the island.

"Excellent swordplay!", Luke said. "But let's see how good you are with the Force."

With a move of his hand, tens of stones lying on the ground were elevated and thrown at Rey. Rey used the force to push them back.

"Great. Your force push has certainly improved.", Luke said. "But this is not over yet."

The training remote droid appeared and Luke continued, "You will have to both dodge its laser blaster and destroy it using the Force."

The droid fired at Rey, but she was able to dodge the fire. She then used the force to lift up a stone and threw it at the droid. The stone hit the droid, blowing it up.

"Good. You are more than ready to return to Leia and help her fight the First Order."

"What about you, Master? Won't you be coming with me?"

"I….."

Rey sighed. "I do not want to leave you here all alone on this island. You should return. You will be of great help, not only to the Resistance but also to me. I may not be able to defeat Kylo Ren on my own."

"This is a challenge you will have to face on your own.", Luke replied. But seeing tears on Rey's face, he could not but change his mind. "Alright, I'll be coming with you."

"Great!", Rey said with a broad smile on her face.

"But I will only be advising you, do not expect me to fight for you. You cannot always rely on me and I want you to be able to face the dark side on your own, because I am too old now and one day I will die. So, I want to make sure that you have no need of me and you can defend freedom in the galaxy without me. That way, I will die in peace when my time in this world is over."

* * *

The Republic forces on Hoth were under the command of General Andrew, an experienced military commander who had fought in many conflicts, including the Galactic Civil War on the side of the Rebels and against the Empire. A short mustached man in his late sixties, he was not one to be underestimated. He was in his office, discussing with Finn on the strategy that they would follow. Finn had been sent to Hoth by Leia, along with some Resistance soldiers, to assist the forces of the Republic on Hoth.

"So, Finn, I do not believe that the First Order will be able to take hold of this military base.", Andrew said. "I certainly do not underestimate them, but the defenses are too strong and we have too many men. As long as we are not lured into attacking them and fighting the battle on their terms, victory will be ours. All we have to do is to hold on until the enemy is forced to retreat due to high casualties. Admiral Ozel will be supplying us, so we can fortify here for as long as we want."

"Rest assured General that I and all of my fellow soldiers will do our best to repel the attacks of the First Order. We shall not fail you. All of us are ready to give up our lives in defense of this base. The enemy will be pushed back for sure."

"Your commitment to our cause is commendable. But I do not believe that we will have much of a trouble. The Admiral of the First Order forces attacking us is some kid who has only fought two battles. I'll show him what a veteran like me can do with the right resources."

* * *

On the bridge of the 'Conqueror', Char was discussing with Max on how to defeat the enemy.

"According to Michael, the fortifications of the Republic base in Hoth are extremely strong.", Max said. "The ones in Anthora seem like a playground compared to them. They have thousands of laser cannons, anti-aircraft guns and other heavy artillery. They also have tens of thousands of soldiers, all experienced in combat. Not only are we outnumbered and outgunned, but the General in command of the fortress is an experienced and cautious commander with many victories on his record."

Char sighed. "It also seems that an outflanking maneuver like the one we pulled in Anthora is impossible to repeat. All of Hoth is a huge icy plain. A direct assault is also out of the question. There is only one way we can defeat them."

"What way?"

Char smiled. "An army marches on its stomach."

"So, what you are proposing is-"

"That if we cut their supply lines, they will eventually either starve to death or be forced to come out and fight us on our own terms."

Max laughed. "It seems that you always have a solution for every problem that arises."

"Once we land, order the Stormtroopers to dig a trench around the enemy fortress. We shall also place there all of our artillery and use the tanks too as artillery, since we do not have enough cannons. We will also be placing anti-aircraft guns on strategic positions to shoot down enemy vessels attempting to supply the Republic base."

The three Star Destroyers under Char's command descended onto Hoth and landed on some distance from the Republic's base. As soon as the Stormtroopers landed on the planet, they began marching towards the enemy base. When they reached the outskirts of the enemy fortress, they placed the heavy artillery, anti-aircraft guns and machine guns to protect their construction project from any enemy attacks and began digging a trench which would encircle the enemy base.

Despite their uniform, the Stormtroopers were feeling the coldness of Hoth. They felt as if they would be frozen at any moment and were shaking; so cold was the weather. It did not help the fact that the air was windy. In order to dig a trench around such a huge perimeter, they had to work for whole weeks. All day long, they would have to work under heavy enemy fire coming from the enemy artillery.

* * *

Finn was in General Andrew's office. Andrew looked worried and Finn could see sweat on his forehead. Andrew was indeed nervous and worried. He knew that if the Stormtroopers completed the construction, no supplies could be brought to them. So, sooner or later, he would have to either surrender or attack the enemy, thus abandoning the advantage offered by the strong fortifications of the base.

"What can I do for you, General?", Finn asked.

"The enemies have been building their trench with astounding speed. If their project is completed, we would be cut off and the Republic fleet will not be able to resupply us. So I want you and your men to make a daring raid and set on fire their construction sites. This should delay them."

"I'll do my best, sir."

* * *

The sun had set and day had given its place to the darkness of night. The Stormtroopers on Sector D of the construction project were tired after another day of hard labor and were about to cease their work and rest for a few hours. They had been digging under terrible weather conditions for hours but they had almost completed the trench on this site. Next morning, they would finish the construction and move to another Sector. As they were about to rest, suddenly, they came under intense fire.

Under the cover of darkness a small team of Resistance soldiers led by Finn had launched a daring raid at Sector D. Their goal: kill the workers and set explosives to disrupt the construction project. The Stormtroopers threw away their shovels, pulled their blasters and began firing back but the element of surprise meant that many of them were killed by the Resistance soldiers within the few first minutes. The redness of blood mixed with the whiteness of snow.

The Stormtroopers retreated and fell back to the incomplete trench, taking cover and preparing for the upcoming Resistance attack. The commander of the unit, lieutenant Quattro, contacted the HQ with his comlink and shouted, "We need reinforcements right away in Sector D. We are under attack! I repeat; we are under attack! We cannot hold on our own much longer. The trench is incomplete and as such offers only partial protection. We need reinforce- Aaa!"

A blaster fire penetrated the forehead of Quattro, instantly killing him. The Resistance soldiers had jumped onto the trench and were firing with rapid fire at the Stormtroopers.

* * *

Char was in his tent with Max. They were discussing the progress of the construction project. They hoped to complete it as soon as possible for they too would have problems with their supplies if the siege was prolonged for too long.

"Sectors A and B have been completed, Sectors C and D are almost complete and Sector E is midway done.", Max said. "In a week, at most, the trench will have been fully constructed. Once this is done, no supplies will get to the Republic base."

"We need to step up the construction. The seventh fleet of Admiral Nick will resupply us in about fifteen days. But we won't be getting any other supplies any time soon. So we will be able to last more than them enemy only if we prevent them from being supplied. As such, it is vital to finish the construction project as soon as possible. For if we fail to prevent them from being supplied, our supplies will end before theirs do. And if this happens, we will be forced to end the siege."

"The soldiers work all day long. They are at breaking point. We cannot push them any further."

"We must if we are to emerge victorious!", Char retorted. "Victory is all that matters. I cannot be defeated. A defeat right now will mean the end of my career."

Max sighed. "I understand, sir. I will try to step up the construction."

"Good. Now go and-"

Suddenly, an officer rushed into the tent and said, "Sir, the enemy had launched a raid in Sector D. The soldiers have attempted to take cover in the trench, but since it is incomplete the enemy had no difficulty overrunning our positions."

Char clenched his teeth. "Damn!", he shouted. "Send lieutenant Jerrid to push back the enemy!"

* * *

The few remaining Stormtroopers in Sector D were fighting tooth and nail to keep their position. As the Resistance soldiers were about to finish them off and set up their bombs, Jerrid and his men arrived. The Stormtroopers fired with machine guns and blasters at the enemy, causing many casualties.

"I and twenty men will delay them!", Finn shouted. "The rest of you set up the explosives."

Finn and twenty of his men fired with their blasters at the enemy troops while the rest of his men began setting up the bombs. But a stray blaster fire hit one of the bombs causing a huge explosion. The sound of the explosion was deafening and the smoke could be seen from miles away. Almost all of Finn's men died in the explosion.

"Retreat!", Finn ordered. "They are too many of them. We cannot hope to defeat them!"

Under heavy fire, Finn and his men managed to escape back to the base. Their mission was a close failure.

Next morning, as soon as Char woke up, Max entered his tent. "Sir, I am glad to report to you that the explosion caused only minor damage to the construction site. Thankfully, one of their bombs exploded before they could set up all of their bombs. They have also taken many casualties, so it is unlikely that they will try it again. I have done my best to motivate the troops to work harder."

Char smiled. "Good. Everything goes as planned."

In less than a week, the trench was completed. The entire base was surrounded by the First Order forces and cut off. The anti-aircraft guns installed at strategic positions made sure that supplies could not be brought by air either.

Day and night, the First Order artillery would fire at the Republic base while the infantry would hold back and be on the defensive. This situation would last for over two months.

* * *

Finn knocked the door to General Andrew's office.

"Come in!", the elderly General said.

"Sir, why have you called me?"

"I've got a message from Admiral Ozel. He says that he cannot supply us neither by air nor by land as the fortifications of the enemy have cut us off from land and their anti-aircraft guns have already shot down five of his supply vessels and he does not want to waste any more supplies and ships on us. He wants us to fight on to the bitter end. "

Finn's heart beat fast. He was afraid. He knew that defeat was imminent. But despite his personal feelings, he had order from General Leia which he could not disobey. "I will fight alongside you. We shall bleed them!"

Andrew laughed. "It's good to know that but you will not need to do so. I will disobey orders and will surrender. Our supplies are diminishing and without food and fuel, we cannot do much. Since defeat is irreversible, it will be futile to fight on. While I am not afraid of death, I do not want to waste the lives of my men in a pointless fight. My only term for surrender will be that you and your remaining men will be allowed to leave the planet."

"But…"

"There is no point in persuading me to change my decision. I am ready to face the consequences of my action. I am an experienced General and I know when a battle is lost."

* * *

A messenger holding a white flag in his hands was sent to the fortifications of the First Order. Two Stormtroopers led him to Char. The messenger fell on his knees before Char and said, "I have a letter from General Andrew. He wants to surrender the fort to you and here are his terms."

Char read the letter. The General's only term was to allow Finn and his men to leave Hoth. Char could not care less about Finn and so he immediately agreed to Andrew's request. "I accept his terms. Inform the General of my decision."

Char had managed to take over the Republic's base in Hoth and achieve an unexpected victory despite having less troops and facing a formidable fortress. The next day, General Hux spoke to him through a hologram projection.

"Admiral Char, congratulations. You have managed to take over Hoth and completed successfully your mission. As such, I shall promote you and place you in command of the 18th Fleet. Your next mission will be to join up with the 7th and 9th Fleets for an attack against the Republic's shipyards at Foerost."

"Thank you. I will not disappoint, sir."


	4. Treacherous snake

Thanks for all the reviews.

 _Chapter 4 – Treacherous snake_

The 'Conqueror' floated in space along with the other Star Destroyers of the 18th Fleet. It was heading towards Mustafar, where there was a base of the First Order. Once there, it would meet up with the 7th and 9th fleets and launch an attack against the Republic's shipyards at Foerost.

Max was in his room. He was lying on his bed and thinking about the upcoming battle. The promotion of Char meant his own promotion as well as Char had asked for him to be an officer in his staff. This fit perfectly with his plan to become a high ranking officer. It was like Char was the Maker's gift to him for all the misfortunes he had to suffer.

'If Char manages once again to achieve a military victory, I will be promoted along with him. And once this happens, I will be one step closer to getting my revenge!', Max thought. 'Snoke, you will pay for what you did to my family. Once I rise high enough in the hierarchy and get close to you, it will be the end of you. I will take back what is mine.'

For most people, Max was just a young aspiring officer of the First Order. But the truth was more complicated than that and Max was not even his true name. His real name was Domon Palpatine, grandson of Sheev Palpatine, better known as Darth Sidious. After the collapse of the Empire, Domon's father hid in Tatooine to escape justice, as the New Republic wanted him dead or alive. But he was eventually found and murdered by assassins sent not by the Republic but by Snoke. If it was known that a descendant of Palpatine was alive, then Snoke would lose his position as 'Supreme Leader' of the First Order.

After his father's death, Domon assumed the identity of Max and entered the First Order's army as an officer with the goal of climbing up in the hierarchy of the First Order and getting close to Snoke. Then, he would be able to take his revenge and reclaim what by heritage belonged to him.

* * *

Char was on the bridge of the 'Conqueror' and chatting with Officer Michael about the upcoming battle.

"So, what can you tell me about the other two admirals I will have to cooperate with?", Char asked.

"From what I know, the cooperation between you three may prove a bit difficult.", Michael replied. "The Admiral of the 7th fleet, Nick, comes from a noble family and looks down on others. So, considering the fact that you do not come from a noble family, there might be trouble in your attempts to cooperate with him. The Admiral of the 9th fleet, Alexander, is overly aggressive and may not go along with a careful and cautious plan for the operation."

"I see…."

"The operation is already a difficult task to pull off, so is advisable that you find a way to deal with them, lest the operation is a disaster."

Char smiled. "I can use their quirks to my advantage. I have already thought of a plan that would eliminate both the enemy and them. I'll kill two birds with one stone. "

* * *

Among the thousands of bright stars and planets, a spaceship travelled. It was the Millennium Falcon. On its cockpit were Rey and Chewbacca while Luke was meditating in one of the ship's rooms.

"We will soon be reaching Yavin IV.", Rey said. She was already smiling in the thought of getting back into action and meeting again with Finn and Leia. "I cannot wait to see again Finn and General Leia."

Chewbacca roared in agreement. He too had missed the days when he was fighting. He had gotten bored being all day long in an island and doing nothing.

"I am sure the General will be very happy when she sees her brother. They have not met for a long time. Too bad Han Solo will not be able to see him again..."

Rey sighed when she thought of him. She wished that he still lived and was able to see Luke. She remembered clearly how Kylo Ren stabbed his lightsaber in the chest of his own father. This thought angered her but she remembered Luke's words; "Anger leads to hate and hate leads to the dark side. And once you have embraced the dark side, you will become exactly like the ones you seek to destroy.". So she calmed herself and focused on the journey ahead.

* * *

The 'Conqueror' had reached Mustafar. Char was walking in one of the corridors of the military base. He was going to meet Admiral Nick and discuss with him the strategy that they would follow. He could not help but smile at the thought that Nick would approve a plan that would lead to his own demise.

Char reached Nick's office and knocked the door.

"Come in.", a voice said. Char entered the room and saw Nick; a thin tall officer with brown hair and mustache.

"Greetings Admiral Nick. I am honored to meet such a famous Admiral coming from one of the most prestigious aristocratic families."

Nick grinned. "It's good that you know your place. You must understand that being a nobleman, I should be the one to be in overall command of the operation and you and Alexander should follow my lead."

"I understand that. That's why I have come here; to discuss with you the operation against the Republic's shipyards. I have a plan which Admiral Alexander has no need to know."

"Really?", Nick asked. He was curious to hear what plan Char would propose. 'Surely one that is flawed', he thought, 'for he does not have my superior education and battle experience. I should be the one proposing a plan, not the other way around.'

"We could use Alexander's fleets in a diversionary frontal attack. In order to make it seem real, we should not notify Alexander about the true purpose of the attack and make him believe that his fleet will be our main thrust and that we will support his attack. When he is engaged with the enemy, we shall attack from the left and outflank the enemy fleet. Thus, we would have defeated the enemy fleet and captured the shipyards with little effort."

Char paused for a moment. He saw a change of attitude in Nick, from irony to serious consideration. "Of course, the attack will be led by your fleet as you should have the overall command of the operation. And when the battle is won, I will testify that the plan was yours."

"Interesting, but why would you do that?"

"Because I need the support of a noble family like yours if I am to rise further in the ranks."

Nick laughed. "Great. It's good to have an officer like you helping me. Together we can achieve great things."

'Indeed.', Char thought. 'You will help me rise in the hierarchy with your noble sacrifice.'

The next day, Char and Nick met with Alexander in the 'Operations Room' to talk about their plan. Alexander was short fat man and was always smiling.

"Our plan is a fast and concentrated attack on the enemy.", Char said. "We shall attack them directly and with overwhelming force. Admiral Alexander, you shall lead the attack. You have much experience in space battles and your fighting spirit will boost the morale of our men. Pin them down and our fleets will be supporting you."

Alexander could not hide his pleasure upon hearing that the plan relied on brute force and was aggressive. He thought of tactics using deception to beat the enemy as cowardly ones. And he was always in the mood for a good fight. So he readily agreed with this plan. "I will not let you down! I shall do my best!"

"I hope so.", Nick commented. "Remember, I am a nobleman and I have a reputation to uphold. So do not lose this battle and shame me along with yourself."

Alexander laughed. "You worry too much. Maybe you have not heard about me before, but I have a reputation for pulling off daring attacks. I will crush them!"

'And you will be crushed along with them.', a smiling Char thought. 'But be sure that after your death I will hail you as an example of courage and bravery.'

* * *

Alexander was on the bridge of his flagship, the 'Avalanche'. The 9th fleet had set off from Mustafar a few hours ago and now it had almost reached its destination: Foerost. As such, one of the officers under Alexander's command asked him, "Sir, what are your orders?"

"We shall send out the bombers to launch a daring raid against the enemy ships stationed in the shipyards. Then, we shall send the Tie Fighters to face the enemy fighters once they take off."

"But will our forces be enough to defeat the enemy fleet?"

Alexander smiled. "Don't worry. The 7th and 18th fleets shall assist us in our attack."

The bombers launched out of the decks of the fleet's Star Destroyers and began a bombing raid against the shipyards. As soon as they reached the shipyards, the anti-aircraft guns took out almost half of them. But the bombers that managed to pass through bombed more than a few military installations and ships before being forced to retreat due to the Republic's counterattack.

The Republic's fighters and capital ships went on the offensive and began firing at the retreating bombers. It was then when the Tie Fighters arrived to protect the bombers. But the X-Wings and capital ships of the Republic were simply too many for them and soon the tide of battle turned in the Republic's favor. On the bridge of his flagship, Alexander was furious.

"What the hell are they doing?!", Alexander roared, referring to Nick and Char. "Won't they be supporting me?"

"Sir, a squad of X-Wings is dead ahead." , an officer shouted. Before Alexander could react, the X-Wings fired their missiles directly at the bridge of his Star Destroyer, causing a huge explosion which shook the ship and killed everyone on the bridge. A second squad of X-Wings had fired missiles at the ship's engines and the Star Destroyer exploded.

* * *

Char was on the bridge of the 'Conqueror'. His 18th had left Mustafar an hour after the 7th and 9th fleets had taken off. Officer Michael reported to him the situation of Alexander's fleet.

"Sir, it seems that the 9th fleet has taken much damage.", Michael said. "It will be completely wiped out by the enemy."

"Good. That's what I always wanted.", Char replied. "He will act as a diversion for the enemy and his death will mean one less high ranking officer to compete with."

"Shall we move to the left of the shipyards and support Nick's surprise attack?", Max, who too was on the bridge, asked.

"No. Michael will proceed according to the private instructions I gave him while the fleet will move to the right."

"To the right?", Max wondered. "Won't we be supporting Nick?"

Char laughed. "Of course not. We shall let this idiot be destroyed and act a second diversion for the enemy. This way, I can take out both the enemy and this pathetic nobleman."

* * *

A lone shuttle approached the shipyards of the Republic in Foerost. It had three wings: one tall, dorsal stabilizer that remained stationary, and two lower wings that would extend during flight. It landed on one of the landing platforms and its passenger was led to the office of the Admiral in command of the forces in the shipyards, Admiral Jiang.

"So, this is the First Order officer who has defected from the enemy?", Jiang asked the soldiers who brought in his office the man.

"Yes, sir.", a soldier replied.

"Good. Leave us alone."

The soldiers left the room, leaving Jiang alone with the defected First Order office who was none other than Michael, Char's officer.

"Admiral Jiang, I defected because the First Order refused to promote me despite my successes on the battlefield.", Michael said. "I hope you will make better use of my talents."

"We are always willing to use great talents like you in our army.", a smiling Jiang replied. "But can you tell me more about the surprise attack you were talking about?"

"Yes. The attack by the 9th fleet was nothing more than a distraction. The 7th and 18th fleets shall attack from the left and attempt to encircle your forces."

Jiang thought for a moment. "Why should I trust you?"

"You cannot. But do you want to risk defeat or make use of my information? If you do not believe me, send out a squad of X-Wings to scout the area left of the shipyards and they will report to you that the enemy is coming from there."

"I'll do that. If you prove to be correct, you will be welcomed into our army as a hero. But if you lie….."

Jiang did not need to tell Michael more. It was obvious what would befall on him if he was giving them false info.

Only half an hour after Jiang gave the order, an officer returned to his office with the results of the scouting party.

"Sir", the officer said, "our scouts prove that Michael is correct. The enemy is coming from the left."

"Send all capital ships and the majority of X-Wings to attack them. They will not know what hit them! They will expect us to be surprised when the ones who will be surprised will be them."

"As I have proved my honesty, am I welcome in your army now?", Michael interrupted.

"Of course!", Jiang replied. "Once we've won this battle, you will get a medal for your service to the Republic."

What Jiang did not know was that while his ships were away to battle Nick's fleet, Char would attack the shipyards in a surprise attack. And he could have never guessed that Michael was acting on orders by Char. Not only would Char surprise the enemy, but he would also get rid of Nick.

* * *

Nick was on the bridge of his flagship, 'Terror', and asking one of the officers about the distance they needed to cover before reaching the shipyards.

"In about five minutes, we will have reached the target, sir.", the officer replied. "Shall I give the order to the bombers and Tie Fighters to swoop in?"

Nick smiled. "Do it. Our surprise attack shall destroy the enemy and achieve a glorious victory which will be remembered for ages to come. And once this happens, I will get rid of this Char. He is too smart for his own good."

Suddenly an alarm ringed and another officer shouted, "Sir, we are under attack. The enemy has ambushed us! Enemy ships are coming from all directions!"

"What?!", Nick roared. "How is that possible… Except if… Oh! Char you bastard, you treacherous snake, you betrayed me, didn't you? If I survive, I shall kill you treacherous bastard, even if it is last thing I'll do!"

The capital ships of the Republic fired with their laser cannons at the Star Destroyers, blowing them up one after the other, and their X-Wings literally wiped out all of Nick's Tie Fighters. The sound of the explosions was deafening and the screams of those dying filled the emptiness of space.

* * *

The 'Conqueror' and the rest of the 18th fleet were approaching the shipyards from the right. As all Republic ships were preoccupied either with Alexander's or Nick's fleets, they met no resistance at all. On the bridge of the 'Conqueror', Char was grinning and could not wait for his impending triumph.

"Sir, we are in range for the bombing raid.", Max said.

"Good.", Char replied. "Send all bombers out. Then the Star Destroyers and Tie Fighters shall follow. By my estimations, it will take less than an hour to capture the shipyards."

* * *

Michael was still in Jiang's office and they were chatting. Two soldiers were in the room, armed with blasters. Suddenly the whole room shook and the sound of explosions was heard.

"What is that?!", Jiang shouted.

Michael charged at one of the guards, who was surprised by the sudden attack and had no time to fire at him. Michael punched him on the face and used him as a human shield to defend himself from the fire of the other guard. He then took the dead guard's blaster and fired at the other guard, killing him too. With the two guards dead, Michael pointed his blaster at Jiang and said, "This is the end for you."

He pulled the trigger and killed Jiang. He then rushed out of the room and headed for the hangar, in order to escape.

An hour later, Michael was back on the bride of the 'Conqueror' and reporting to Char and Max.

"I killed Jiang as you've ordered me to.", Michael reported.

"Nick and Alexander are both dead.", Max added. "Their fleets too have been devastated. The Republic fleet has been mostly destroyed too and we have captured the shipyards, although they are too damaged to be of any real use to us."

"Very good.", Char replied. "I shall go report my victory to General Hux. You all have done very well and I will make sure to mention you to Hux."

Before Char could walk away, Max asked, "Was it right to use our own men as a bait and betray them in such a way? We let the enemy slaughter them."

"I've killed my competitors and I've defeated the enemy. That's all it matters; Victory. Nick and Alexander were only pawns, whose only use was to distract the enemy. After that, they would be of no use and would only hinder me. So I took care of them. Those who compete with me must die. Those who get in my way must die. I shall rise to the top at all costs. The lives of idiots like Alexander and Nick mean nothing to me."

* * *

Leia was on the headquarters of the Resistance in Yavin IV and directing its military operations. She was tired and had barely slept, especially with the news of the First Order's victory at Foerost. This "Char dude", as the Resistance officers called him, was becoming as much a problem for the Republic as Kylo Ren and Hux were.

"General, they have arrived.", an officer said.

"Who?", Leia nonchalantly asked, reading some reports on the casualties of a minor battle.

"Luke Skywalker and Rey."

Leia threw away the papers and almost forgot all about the war. After so many years, she was going to see again her brother. When she saw Luke, accompanied by Rey, coming into the room she cried. Neither could Luke hold back his tears. The two siblings were once again together, in the same place where decades ago they planned the attack against the Death Star.

"I cannot believe that you are here.", Leia said. "Is it a dream?"

Luke smiled. "You should not cry. This reunion should be a happy one."

Rey was watching the two of them and could not help but feel happy for them.

"Hey, you are Rey, right?", an officer asked.

Rey turned around and saw a man in his fifties. "Yes."

"There have been rumors that you know this Char guy from Jakku. Are they true? I've heard about this in a discussion between John and General Leia."

Rey was surprised to hear about Char. Was the officer talking about the same Char she knew on Jakku or someone else?

"You mean Char Bright?"

"Yes."

"I do know him.", Rey replied. She then sighed. "Too bad that I do not know where he is right now. Do you know what he is doing?"

The officer was reluctant to reply but seeing that Rey was determined to learn about Char he said, "He is an Admiral of the First Order and has defeated our forces again and again."

Rey's face became pale white and she was trembling. "Impossible!", she shouted. "You must be mistaken! Char is the kindest person I've ever met; he would have never joined the First Order. I do not believe it! You are lying!"

Crying, she charged out of the room. Luke and Leia noticed this and Leia asked the officer what he had told to her.

"I just asked her if she knew this Char guy."

Leia sighed. "You should not have done that! It was not the right time to ask her about him."

"Char?", Luke wondered. "I've heard this name before. He is a friend of Rey."

"And an Admiral of the First Order.", Leia replied.


	5. Assassination

Thanks for the reviews everyone. Hope you enjoy this chapter too.

 _Chapter 5 – Assassination_

Leia had summoned the top leaders of the rebellion and Luke in the control room in the Headquarters of the Resistance in Yavin IV. This brought back many memories to both Leia and Luke. It was in this same room that Leia had directed the attack against the Death Star. This memory gave everyone hope. If they could defeat the dark side once, they could do so again.

Rey had not been called to this meeting. Considering the nature of the subject they were about to discuss, both Luke and Leia did not want Rey to know what they were planning. The subject of discussion was Char Bright. His victories against the Resistance and the New Republic made him famous and now he was on the top of the list of the people the Resistance wanted dead.

"Char Bright is a dangerous enemy!", Leia said. "We must not underestimate him. He is a military genius and has defeated again and again our forces despite his forces being numerically inferior and outgunned. The only way to put an end to this is to assassinate him. I want volunteers for a squad to board his capital ship, the 'Conqueror', and kill him. It is a dangerous mission and I cannot guarantee the safe return of those who will take on this task, even if Char is successfully killed. "

"I volunteer!"

Leia and the others turned around and saw Finn smiling.

"You are back.", Leia replied. "Good to see you."

"Too bad I will not be staying long.", Finn said with a grin on his face. "I have a score to settle with Char from Hoth."

"I volunteer too!", another resistance trooper said.

Soon more than twenty soldiers had volunteered for the mission. Those were more than enough for the assassination attempt. Leia was about to brief them with the details when she heard Rey's voice. "I volunteer too."

Leia turned around in utter surprise and looked at Rey. "Are you sure? Char is your friend."

"No more.", Rey replied. "By aligning himself with the First Order, he betrayed me. Our friendship is over."

"Good. This will increase our chances of success. Char's capital ship, the 'Conqueror', is according to reports collected from our scouts heading towards Tatooine. One of our fleets shall engage his in order to lure him into battle. During the battle, Rey, Finn and the rest of the squad will board the 'Conqueror', head to the bridge and eliminate Char. Are there any questions?"

"I do have a question.", Finn said. "Char is no fool. He is not going to commit head on in a direct assault. He will realize that there is a trap."

"True. But he will expect a battlefield ambush, not an assassination attempt on his life. Any other questions?"

As no one asked any question, Leia concluded the briefing. "You should all be prepared in about two hours. May the Force be with you. "

With the briefing over, Luke approached Rey and said, "Are you sure you want to do this? You should not let your emotions rule you."

"Do not worry, Master.", Rey replied. "I am up to the task. I will not let my past friendship with Char derail the mission."

"I am not worried about you sparing Char as much I am worried about your hatred of him.", Luke said. "I can sense you anger. You took to heart his joining of the First Order and consider this a personal betrayal. But you should not let your anger cloud your judgment. This mission isn't about settling personal scores or getting revenge."

Rey sighed. "You are right, Master. I will try to maintain my calmness and not do anything that will endanger the mission or my commitment to the light."

* * *

The 'Conqueror' was floating in space, leading an armada of Star Destroyers. At its bridge, Char and Max were watching the countless stars and waiting silently. Max broke first that silence. He asked, "Sir, do you have any friends?"

This question surprised Char. So far, his relationship with Max was a purely professional one and they talked only about their assignments or military tactics. "Only one.", he replied. "Why the sudden interest regarding my personal life?"

"Well, since we work together for so long, I thought that we could trust each other with more than professional information."

"As my previous answer should have indicated, I am not one who makes friends easily."

Max smiled. "I can see that. So, who is this one and only friend you have? A fellow officer? Someone from your home world?"

"She is from my home world, Jakku. I haven't seen her for a long, long time…"

Char sighed. Max was surprised by this as Char barely ever showed any emotion about anyone.

"You miss her, don't you?"

"I do. Once I am at the top, I will return to Jakku for her."

* * *

Rey walked into the shuttle that was going to take them to Char's capital ship. Finn was already inside and inspecting his laser blaster while the rest of the crew was moving supplies into the shuttle.

"I see that you are far better now.", Rey said to Finn.

Finn smiled. "Indeed. Not even Kylo Ren and his lightsaber could hurt me. That's why I am confident about this mission."

He paused for a moment. "I am glad to see you too. How has your training with Luke been?"

"Well, it was somewhat exhaustive but I learned lots of things about the Force and improved my swordsmanship. Next time we face Kylo Ren, I will be more than ready for him."

"Well, for now let's focus on this Char dude."

Finn hard heard about Rey and Char being old friends but was somewhat reluctant to ask about it. When he did decide to do so, his fingers were being crushed in the rhythmic grip of his other hand and he put on a smile on his face. "So, you and that Char were friends?"

"A long time ago."

"I can imagine that it must be kind of hard for you to kill your former best friend, right?"

Rey did not reply and so Finn decided to change his question. "So, how did you two met?"

This question brought back many memories to Rey. She remembered when she first met him. They were just children. Neither of them had any friends and so they had only each other. They used to lie on the sand and watch the stars on the night sky. They would talk about all the strange worlds they had heard about and which one day they would visit together.

"We met back in Jakku."

Finn could sense that Rey was not willing to talk anymore about Char, so he dropped that subject. "Whatever, we must prepare for the mission. We shall be leaving in a few minutes."

* * *

An officer walked to the bridge of the 'Conqueror' and saluted Char and Max. He then reported, "Sir, a Resistance fleet is approaching us. According to my report, we outnumber them. Shall we attack them?"

"We need to destroy that fleet if we are to reach Tatooine.", Max added. "I say that we take the initiative and attack."

"I am not so sure about it.", Char replied. "It seems too good to be true. This may be a trap. It would be reckless to attack head on without scouting the area for any ambush."

"On second thought, I will have to agree with you.", Max admitted. He then turned to the officer and said, "Send 10 Tie Fighters to scout the area for any ambush and report back immediately. Do not engage if you find enemy ships."

"Yes, sir!"

Char thought silently for a moment. "I have a bad feeling about this. My instinct tells me that things are not as simple as they look. If we can come up with ingenious strategies, so can the enemy."

"Maybe, but I am sure that you will be able to prevail.", Max replied. "So far, you have led us to one victory after the other against all odds. I fully believe in you."

Char smiled.

"Thanks. That means a lot. Especially since it's coming from one of my most vocal critics."

"Well, we have come a lot way since that time when we were minor officers and leading the attack against that Resistance asteroid base."

Only half an hour later, the officer was back on the bridge with the report of the scouting party. "Sir", he said, "our scouts report that there seems to be no ambush."

"See, I told you it would be all right.", Max said.

"Well, let's take the initiative then and strike hard. Officer, direct our fleet towards the position of the enemy fleet. We are going to attack."

Before the officer could leave, Char stopped him. "In order to avoid any unpleasant surprises, make sure to let a Star Destroyer behind. In case I need to make a surprise maneuver or things do not go as planned. We outnumber them anyway."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Finn was nervous, more than Rey. Back in Yavin IV, he hadn't thought much about the dangers of the mission but the closer the shuttle got to its destination, the more nervous he became. He put on awkward smile and tried to pretend to be brave but he was breathing heavily and one could easily tell that he was really worried.

"Do not worry.", Rey said. "If we could survive Kylo Ren and the Starkiller Base, we can sure survive this. Weren't you all brave only a few moments ago?"

"I am still brave.", Finn replied. "At least I am trying to be so. But you are right. We will survive. I am just a bit worried because Char hasn't got his reputation for nothing. He is an excellent strategist and tactician and his troops are battle-hardened and experienced. They have fought battle after battle, most of the time outnumbered and outgunned. I am still not sure how we will get past all those troops and into the bridge. We are only twenty-five people."

"That's our strength. Because of our few numbers, we will be able to sneak onto the bridge without alarming everyone on the ship."

"We've arrived to the battlefield!", the pilot of the shuttle shouted. "It seems that the battle is raging on. I will try to approach the 'Conqueror'."

Tie Fighters and X-Wings were shooting each other and the deafening sound of explosions and screams could be heard from miles away. Star Destroyers and Resistance Capital Ships were firing with their laser cannons, decimating anything getting in their way. On the 'Conqueror' itself troopers were rushing in all directions, bringing ammunitions to the cannons or heading to the docking bay. Tie Fighters were launching from the ship every minute and heading towards the battle. On the bridge, Char and Max were discussing the battle taking place.

"What is the situation?", Char asked.

"We have damaged heavily three of their capital ships", Max replied, "and their X-Wing squadrons have suffered heavy losses. But so have our Tie Fighters. They are putting more of a fight than usual. According to a report this is because they are led by Poe Dameron, best pilot of the Resistance."

Char sighed. "Thankfully we outnumber them. I never thought I would see the day when I would owe my victory not to my superior intelligence and strategic skill but due to superior numbers."

While Char and Max were discussing, the Resistance shuttle was making its way to the 'Conqueror'. The shuttle was barely able to avoid the blaster fire of the Tie Fighters and the laser cannons of the Star Destroyers. It lurched forward as fast as it could. Suddenly, it was hit by enemy fire. The whole shuttle shook.

"What is going on?", Finn asked.

"It seems two Tie Fighters are coming after us.", the pilot said.

"Can't you shoot them down?"

"Are you forgetting that this shuttle has no weapons?"

"Can't you outrun them?", Rey said.

"I do not know.", the pilot replied. "I shall try. It is our only hope."

The shuttle sped forward but it was hit again by enemy fire. The entire ship shook violently and fire engulfed the exterior of the shuttle.

"We have lost the shield and we have suffered heavy damage.", the plot said. "One more such direct hit and we are all dead."

"Can you fix the shield?", Finn asked Rey.

"I will try. I may be good at repairs but not so good."

"Damn! We should have brought BB-8 with us."

"Well, let's hope my skills are good enough or we will become galactic dust."

"I knew that this mission would not end well!"

Rey sighed. "If you stopped whining, I would be already fixing the shields."

"I will try to buy us some time!", the pilot shouted.

The shuttle made some maneuvering to avoid enemy fire but the Tie Fighters were closing in. Suddenly, both Tie Fighters exploded. Their explosion shook the shuttle.

"What happened?", Finn asked.

"It seems that one of our own shot them down. It was an X-Wing pilot.", the pilot replied. "That pilot sends us a message."

Poe Dameron's voice could be heard: "I am glad you are ok. Now get to the 'Conqueror' and finish the mission."

Finn laughed. "I knew Poe would save us."

Rey too grinned. "Have some good news. I've repaired the shields."

"Good.", the pilot said. "We are closing in on the ship."

The shuttle sped forward and landed on one of the docking bays of the 'Conqueror'. Stormtroopers surrounded the shuttle and targeted it with their blaster rifles while others set up machine guns. Thankfully for the Resistance troops, the Stormtroopers were not many as most of them were too absorbed with the ongoing space battle.

"Well, now it's time for you to do your Jedi tricks.", Finn said.

The shuttle's opening hatch opened and Rey and the other troopers rushed out of the shuttle. Before the Stormtroopers could open fire, Rey used the force to send against them a powerful force wave which shook them and threw them away. The Resistance troopers then opened fire with their blasters while also throwing grenades at them. The explosions engulfed the docking bay in fire and shook the place. Some of the Stormtroopers attempted to fight back but Rey ignited her lightsaber and deflected their fire, allowing for Finn and the troopers to easily finish them off with accurate fire.

"The docking bay seems to have been cleared.", Finn said. "Now, let's split up. Four troopers will go to the ammunitions room and wreck the area to cause a distraction. Other four shall place mines in other docking bays and explode them to create another diversion. The rest will follow me and Rey to the bridge."

Finn paused for a moment, took a long breath and then said: "May the Force be with you!"


	6. Reunion

Guest and TheBlackPriest, thanks for the reviews. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter too.

 _Chapter 6 – Reunion_

"The corridor is clear!", Finn shouted as he rushed forward, armed with a blaster rifle. Rey and the rest of the troopers followed. Finn activated a hologram projector which showed a map of the ship. Finn pointed the way to the bridge: "We need to turn to the right, follow that corridor all the way up ahead and then we will reach the elevator."

"Understood!", Rey said and she turned to the right slowly and stealthily in order to avoid attention. "There doesn't seem to be anyone here. Most likely the space battle keeps all of them busy."

"Hope so.", Finn whispered and made his way to the right too. "The corridor indeed seems to be clear. But somehow I have a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly one of the troopers shouted, "We have been spotted! I-"

His sentence was interrupted by the deafening sound of explosives and blaster fire. "We should run ahead to the elevator!", Finn said. "The troopers will have to deal with the Stormtroopers themselves."

"We cannot leave them behind!", Rey protested. "They will die."

"We have a mission to accomplish. Those troopers will buy us the time we need to kill Char."

"I do not care! I will not let them die!"

Rey then turned back to the previous corridor, only to see that a squad of about thirty Stormtroopers had already massacred all of her fellow Resistance fighters. Seeing her, the Stormtroopers opened fire with their blasters. Rey quickly ignited her lightsaber and deflected the enemy fire but she was forced to retreat by a few steps due to the heavy enemy fire.

Finn, sighing, rushed to Rey's help. He grabbed a grenade from the hand of one of the dead Resistance troopers and threw it at the Stormtroopers. One of them saw it on time, aimed at it and shot it at midair. The smoke of the explosion made it difficult for the Stormtroopers to see where Rey and Finn were.

"Let's go!", Finn shouted and him and Rey turned right, attempting to make their way to the elevator. To their surprise, another squad of Stormtroopers had rushed to that corridor, most likely due to hearing the sound of the explosion. They immediately fired at the two heroes and Rey was barely able to deflect the enemy fire with her lightsaber.

One of the Stormtroopers, holding a rocket launcher, fired at Rey, but she used the Force to turn back the rocket at the enemy squad. A deafening sound was heard and the enemy troops were sent flying at all directions and many of them were mutilated by the explosion. Rey rushed forward and cut down the few surviving Stormtroopers with her lightsaber.

"We must rush to the elevator before another squad comes here", she said.

"I agree."

Finn and Rey reached the elevator and Finn pressed the button for it to come. Suddenly, three more Stormtroopers rushed towards them. "I've got them!", Finn said and opened fire with his blaster rifle. His shots were accurate and fast. He shot the head of the first Stormtrooper, the chest of the second and the leg of the third. The first two Stormtroopers died instantly while the third was unable to move and pose any danger. At that moment, a ringing sound was heard, indicating that the elevator had arrived. Rey and Finn rushed into it and pressed the button for the elevator to go to Level E. From there, they could reach the bridge.

A beeping sound was heard and Finn said, "It is from my comlink. It is Eric."

"My squad has set explosives in the ammunitions storage.", Eric replied. "Jason's squad has also caused distractions in the docking bays. Hopefully this will allow you to reach the bridge without much trouble."

"Good.", Finn said. "Try to cause more havoc in order to divert more troops to your Level."

* * *

In the bridge of the 'Conqueror', Char and Max were gazing at the unfolding space battle and were being notified about its progress. One officer approached them and, after saluting them, said: "Sir, I have two reports. The first has to do with the battle. Our Tie Fighters have gained the momentum and have devastated the enemy X-Wings. Our Star Destroyers have also broken through enemy lines and outflanked the enemy capital ships. We have cut off their retreat route."

"Excellent!", a grinning Char commented. "Most excellent news. It seems that this battle has been another victory."

"I told we would emerge victorious.", Max said.

"There is also a second report.", the officer continued. "It seems that three squads of Resistance troops have boarded the ship and are causing havoc. There was a destructive explosion in the ammunitions room and several other explosions in docking bays while in Level B a squad of Stormtroopers was massacred."

"Damn!", Max shouted.

Char was calmer and had maintained his coolness. "I should have foreseen this. The Resistance fleet was nothing more than an elaborate bait to lure me into their trap and allow the assassins to board my ship. How well armed are those Resistance troops?"

"Very well, sir", the officer replied, "at least according to our reports. It seems that there is a Jedi among them as well."

"Jedi? Are you sure?", Char asked.

"I am pretty sure about it, sir."

"Most interesting. It must be that young Jedi who supposedly defeated Kylo Ren in Starkiller Base. Considering the fact that all Jedi had been killed, I thought this story was a nonsense rumor but it seems that it is true. Put all troops on highest alarm. Organize squads to locate and kill the Resistance troopers."

Char paused for a moment and thought before continuing. "Also, release poison gas in Level E. I am pretty sure that the Resistance troops and the Jedi will be heading there in order to get to the bridge. This gas will kill them for sure."

"But this will also cause the death of hundreds of our own troops on that Level!", Max protested.

"Well, I am sad about it but it is the only way to stop the Jedi.", Char replied. "If that Jedi really defeated Kylo Ren, then a few squads of Stormtroopers will not be able to stop her. The only way to kill her is through poison gas."

"Still, we should try to evacuate some of our troops from that Level."

"No. If we do so, the Jedi and her companions will suspect our scheme. Unfortunately, we will have to sacrifice a few of our troops for the greater good. If those troops are lost, we can replace our losses. If I am lost, we cannot. Genius cannot be replaced."

* * *

Still on the elevator, Finn and Rey were silently waiting for it to arrive to Level E. Neither of them spoke about anything and there was complete silence. Finn reluctantly broke that silence and asked, "Will you be able to do it?"

"Do what?", Rey replied.

"Kill Char. I mean, he used to be your friend."

"That belongs to the past."

Finn could sense that there was some doubt in those words. Maybe Rey wanted to believe that she hated Char but she did not, Finn thought. But, considering the situation they were in, this was the least of Finn's concerns and so he dropped the subject. It was then that the elevator arrived to Level E.

Rey and Finn rushed out of the elevator. "The bridge is straight ahead!", Finn said. As they were running forward, they saw a squad of Stormtroopers. Before they could fight them, poison gas was released from vents. Everyone began feeling dizzy and suffocating. As such, the Stormtroopers were not able to attack Rey and Finn and instead they tried to run away. Unfortunately for them, they collapsed to the ground and choked to death.

"It's poison gas!", Rey said.

"Is there anything you can do about it?", Finn asked. He was sweating and he could barely talk as he felt as someone was choking him.

"Luke has taught me a breath control technique. But you will have to go back to the elevator in order to survive."

Before Finn could protest, Rey used the Force to push him back to elevator. "Go to one of the lower levels!", she said.

"Damn!", Finn murmured but he was forced to admit that Rey was right and he pressed the button to take the elevator to the lowest level.

Rey tried to remember the words of her Master back on the island. "Still your breathing, let the trace amounts of air in your lungs hold you. The Force can sustain you... listen to it."

Rey followed her Master's instructions. She numbed her body's instinct to shut itself down after long periods without oxygen and used the Force to reserve the amounts of air in the lungs. Thus she was able to walk forward without breathing the poisonous gas.

* * *

Char was patiently waiting for Max to report to him. He had ordered Max to supervise the extermination of the assassins and then report to him. While waiting for Max, Char could not help but think more about this Jedi. According to what he was told from one of his officers, that Jedi came from his home planet of Jakku. 'Could it be….Impossible! Rey is just a scavenger, she could not be a Jedi.', he thought. 'Jakku is a huge planet. It is ridiculous to think that that Jedi is actually Rey.'

"Sir!", Max said.

"What?", Char wondered. "Ah yes, now I remember, the report."

"Sir, no offense, but usually you are not so absent minded. Is something bothering you?"

Char tried to hide his true thoughts. "Except for the fact that assassins, including a Jedi, have boarded my ship, nothing else bothers me. Now, let's leave amateur psychology behind and return to work. I await your report."

"Our troops have located and exterminated the first two enemy squads. However, one Resistance trooper is still alive while the Jedi has somehow managed to survive the poison gas and heads towards the bridge."

"Damn!", Char shouted. "Send more troops to kill her."

"But sir, all troops on Level E have been killed by the poison gas…"

"That means…"

"That no one will be able to save us. There are only three Stormtroopers here."

"Officers!", Char shouted and all officers in the bridge stood up. "Arm yourselves. The Jedi will soon arrive here. We cannot expect any reinforcements soon, so if we are to survive we must rely on ourselves only."

Most officers had mostly technical training, unlike the Stormtroopers, and even in battle they were mostly behind the battle lines and directing the movement of troops. So they were utterly terrified when they heard that a Jedi would break into the bridge. Most had cold sweat on their forehead and a lot were trembling. Seeing this, Char sighed. "I have some of the best staff officers in the galaxy, but they are all lousy warriors."

Suddenly, the bridge's door was blown away by a powerful Force push and Rey rushed inside. A Stormtrooper fired at her with his rifle but she used her lightsaber to deflect the enemy fire and approach him. When she was close enough, she stabbed her lightsaber through the chest of the Stormtrooper, killing him. His blood spilled on the ground. Two more Stormtroopers opened fire but Rey used the Force to push them away and they crushed against a computer panel.

When Char saw the Jedi he was dumbfounded. He could not believe that the Jedi was actually Rey. His face became ashen white and he froze in shock. "Impossible…", he muttered. "Utterly impossible."

"Sir!", Max said. "Sir! Sir, do you hear me?"

Char ignored Max and just stood silent, muttering the word 'impossible'. Max could not understand what Char meant and why he was so astonished and shocked. Usually, even in the worst of times, Char was energetic. He was regularly leading his troops in battle in person and unlike most officers he was putting himself in danger without fear. And yet this one encounter with this Jedi changed everything.

'Does he know her?', Max wondered in his thoughts. But he quickly dismissed that thought.

Most of the officers panicked and attempted to make their way out of the bridge. A few tried to fire with their laser pistols at Rey, but she easily deflected the enemy fire and used the Force to push them away. As she approached Char, Max drew his own pistol and fired repeatedly at her. Unlike most of the officers, Max had been leading troops in person and so his shots were more accurate and fast. But even Max was no match for a Jedi and Rey used the Force to take away from him his pistol. Unarmed, Max ran away and Rey made no effort to stop him from escaping.

"Rey…", Char said.

Rey was about to strike Char but seeing her old friend again made her lower her lightsaber and then deactivate it.

"Why?", she asked.

Char was silent.

"Why did you join the First Order?"

"Because I wanted to accomplish something great.", Char said. "The New Republic and the Resistance offered no chances for rapid promotion and had plenty of officers anyway. The First Order lacked officers and thus rewarded substantially the successful ones. Not to say that since the New Republic has far more resources than the First Order, fighting against it was more challenging than fighting for it."

Before he could continue his explanation, Rey interrupted him. Char could see her disappointment for him in her eyes. "You have changed so much. I cannot believe that you are the Char I knew. If you were him, you would fight for justice and peace, not for your own vanity."

"Glory in the battlefield is for what I live for!", Char retorted. "You may want to pretend that you fight for some greater good, but the New Republic is as corrupt and rotten as the First Order."

"Don't move!", Max shouted.

Rey and Char turned around and saw Max and a few Stormtroopers aiming their guns at Rey. "If you move", Max said, "I will fire."

Rey was about to activate her lightsaber when Char punched her on the face, knocking her out.

"Take her to the detention room!", Char ordered. "Put her in an energy cell."

* * *

Char had returned back to his room and was lying on his bed. He could not fall asleep. He was constantly thinking about Rey, remembering the time when they were best friends and spend almost all of their free time together. He could remember her smile, her laughter, the happy times they had together. Now, she had tried to kill him and he punched her and locked her in a cell. Char was sighing and feeling an emotion he hadn't felt since his time back in Jakku; guilt.

"Am I really going to deliver her to Snoke?", he wondered. "If I do, I will get promoted and be rewarded handsomely. I may even become a General like Hux. I will solidify my reputation as a military genius. But I will lose her forever."

This dilemma haunted him. It exhausted him. His entire body seemed to sag with exhaustion. In a frozen state he let out a shaky breath, closing his weary eyes. But he could not ignore the dilemma. He needed to come to a decision. He stood up and walked around his room, thinking. He then noticed the talisman Rey had given to him to symbolize their friendship. It was one of the very few items Rey's parents had left to her. He grabbed the talisman and looked at it persistently. Every second he looked at it, he remembered a different memory of him and Rey.

He quickly rushed out of his room and headed for the detention room. Two Stormtroopers were guarding the door. They saluted him and opened the door. Char closed the door behind him and walked towards Rey's energy cell. Rey had just regained her consciousness and she had a terrible headache.

"What are you going to do?", she asked. "Interrogate me? That would be a waste of time."

"Indeed.", Char replied, smiling.

He walked towards a computer panel and lowered a lever. The energy cell was deactivated and Rey was free.

"What are you doing?", she asked. She was surprised by the fact that Char deactivated the cell, especially after he had changed so much and seemed to care only for himself.

"I'm letting you escape.", Char replied. "Force push me against the wall to make it look like you escaped on your own."

"No. If I am leaving, you will come with me.", Rey insisted. "I will not let you here."

"I cannot abandon my position and my fleet and leave with you!"

Rey sighed. "I thought you had changed and that you would abandon the First Order. Alas…"

"This is no time to argue!"

Suddenly, Max walked into the room, accompanied by five Stormtroopers. "I am sorry. Am I interrupting you from anything?"

"What are you doing here?", Char asked.

"The real question is what _you_ are doing here."

"I am… interrogating the prisoner."

Max laughed. "Nice story. You know, after I saw you reaction upon seeing that Jedi, I searched her and yours background. You come from the same planet. Combining this information with your unusual and shocked reaction, it was easy for me to figure out that you knew each other. Thus I anticipated that you would try to free her. And I waited. Now, I will be in command."

"How dare you disobey your commanding officer?!", Char shouted.

Max grinned. "Didn't you do this first? You gained your first military victory by directly disobeying your superior's command not to engage in battle. Why do you seem surprised? You were the one who taught me that I should take the initiative. With you dead and Rey a prisoner once more, I will become a Grand Admiral or even a General. "

Although he appeared joyous, Max was somewhat sad that he had to kill his old commander and friend, for he considered Char to be a friend of his after all the troubles they had been through together. But the only way to get revenge for his father's death was to get close to Snoke. In order to do so, he had to kill Char and gain command of his fleet, thus rising even more in command and getting closer to Snoke. Only then would he be able to reclaim his family's legacy. As a Palpatine he had the right to rule the First Order. Then he would reveal to the world his true name; Domon Palpatine. And, as his grandfather Sidious had done in the past, he would crush the Republic.

"Too bad you will not be able to capture me!", Rey said and used the Force to push Max and his troopers against the wall, knocking them unconscious.

"Let's go!", she said and rushed out of the room with Char.

"We must head to the escape pods.", Char said. "The docking bays are far too well guarded for us to successfully steal a spaceship."

"This reminds me of old times.", Rey replied and smiled.

Char gave to Rey her lightsaber. "I was keeping it with me. It seems that it came in handy, hasn't it?"

"Indeed."

As they were running, they saw two Stormtroopers ahead of them. The two troopers opened fire but Rey somersaulted, landed behind the two of them and cut them down with her lightsaber.

"Impressive.", Char commented.

Rey and Char, after running frantically for a few minutes, finally reached the escape pods. They entered inside one of the pods. The pod ejected and sped towards the planet below; Tatooine.


	7. The twin suns of Tatooine

Gu Long and TheBlackPriest, thanks for the reviews.

 _Chapter 7 – The twin suns of Tatooine_

Rey and Char walked out of the escape pod. Before them was the vast and seemingly endless desert of Tatooine. Looking at the trackless desert, both of them sighed. The twin suns of the planet beat down and there was not even a wisp of cloud to soften the harsh rays. Each of their steps sunk into the searing sand and the air was thick and hazy. Their clothing was overwhelmingly hot and sticky. The stiff, dry desert breeze blew sand into their eyes. They were able to keep moving and endure all those hardships only because they had grown up in another desert world, Jakku. Nevertheless, the Tatooine desert was far harsher than the one in Jakku and as time went on the hardship took its toll on the two travelers.

"How long is it before we reach a settlement?", Rey asked.

"Don't know.", Char admitted. "I have never been to Tatooine before. I do not even know on which part of the planet we are."

"I do not know how long we can keep going. We have no water with us. This desert will be our graveyard."

Char smiled. "I am optimistic. You always were lucky, even back in Jakku. After all, you are a Jedi. So you have the Force to help you."

Rey laughed. "Don't think that's the way the Force works."

She paused for a moment and then asked, "Do you regret it?"

"What?"

"Saving me. If you did not help me escape, you would still be Admiral and you would not be in this barren desert."

"Well, I do regret not having thought of a better plan of getting you out."

Rey, hearing this, sighed and looked sullen but Char added, "But no, I do not regret saving you."

This immediately lifted her spirits. "So, what changed your mind and you decided to save me?"

Char showed her the talisman Rey had given to him back in Jakku. "This. And all the memories of our life back in Jakku. You were, and still are, my only friend. I could not let you be taken to Snoke."

"To be honest, I had given up on you.", Rey admitted. "I shouldn't have. I should have believed in you. Thankfully, you proved me wrong and you were there when I needed you the most."

Rey and Char kept walking across the endless wave of sand dunes. Heat rained down on them like the breath of hell. The arid heat burnt at their lungs. They were sweating and exhausted. After about an hour, the twin suns began to set. The desert at twilight was a vast undulating sea and the sand dunes looked like waves. Heat gave its way to chilling coldness. The temperature was below freezing because once the suns were down, the sand began releasing heat. Their blood ran cold through their veins and their bones were chilled. Their teeth chattered. They were barely able to walk when they finally reached a stone well.

"Water!", Char shouted.

They rushed to the well and drew a wooden bucket that was inside. It was full of water and they rushed to drink it. The water was cold and they could feel it's chillness but they did not care. After drinking enough water, they lied on the cold sand to rest.

"I do not believe that there is a settlement nearby.", Char said. "So let's spend the night here."

"Alright.", Rey replied, trembling due to the chilling cold. "I remember back in Jakku you were always kind and considerate of others. You were never looking for glory. Why did this change?"

"I have already left behind the First Order, so why do you need to know?"

"If we are friends, we can share our troubles with one another."

Char sighed. "Alright... I did not tell you the complete truth back in the ship. I had first applied for the Officers' Military Academy of the Republic in Coruscant. I was…rejected. That's when I got to the First Order. Most of the cadets there were sons of former Imperial officers and thus looked down on me. I realized that only by gaining glory and proving myself would others respect me."

He paused for a moment. "So, how did you become a Jedi?"

Rey smiled. "It's a long story."

She then began telling him how she found BB-8 and met Finn, how the three of them escaped Jakku with the Millennium Falcon and encountered Han Solo and Chewbacca. She explained how she got her lightsaber, how she was captured by Kylo Ren and how Finn and Han saved her. She detailed her battle with Kylo Ren. She could clearly remember it. The chilling coldness, her anger mixed with sadness, her will to get vengeance for Han. Their lightsabers clashed repeatedly and Kylo Ren was gaining the upper hand. Then, suddenly and most surprisingly, she somehow mustered enough strength to not only push him back, but to utterly defeat him and scar him. Shen then told him how she had found Luke and how she trained under him. All that time, Char was listening with the utmost attention.

"Never knew you were such a good story teller.", he said.

"Neither did I.", she replied, smiling. "Not that it will matter if we do not find a settlement tomorrow."

"If you could survive through all those setbacks and even beat Kylo Ren, then I am sure that you will be able to survive this hardship too."

Rey, being very tired, soon fell asleep. Char could not sleep however. While he indeed did not regret saving Rey and would have saved her even if he knew beforehand the outcome of their escape, he still missed his fleet, his officers and soldiers, the power he had. No more would he plan military operations, command thousands of men, feel the joy of victory, of having defeated an adversary. He had no idea what he would do thereafter, if they managed to leave this planet. He looked at Rey and thought, 'at least she has a purpose in her life. What purpose do I have?'. He felt an emptiness inside him. 'Once I commanded thousands and decided the fate of worlds. Now I am just a man, with no power, no purpose, with nothing to drive me.'

* * *

Max was also contemplating about what he did and what he would do next. He was on the bridge of the 'Conqueror' and gazing the emptiness of space. It had not taken him long to realize that he missed Char. Although when he first met him the two of them clashed again and again, they had eventually become friends and had come to respect one another. Max sighed. 'Too bad that this friendship had to come to an end', he thought and clenched his fist. 'But I've got to get revenge for my family. If I do not get close to Snoke, I will never be able to kill him and avenge my father's death.'

An officer walked towards Max and saluted him. "Admiral, our search parties have not been able to locate Char and the Jedi yet."

"Order them to extend their search. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. General Hux wishes to speak with you."

"Good. You may be dismissed now."

Max rushed to the communications room and activated the hologram projector. Hux appeared before and said, "Officer Max, I've learned that you've become temporary Admiral of the 18th fleet since Char betrayed us."

"Indeed sir", Max replied, "I took command of the fleet."

"You are now officially appointed Admiral of the 18th fleet. Your mission is to find and capture Char and the Jedi."

"I have already send search teams to look for them."

"Good. It is of vital importance that you capture them. Char is a military genius while this Jedi Rey is a very gifted warrior and can be of danger to the First Order. I hope that you will not fail me and betray my trust in you."

"Yes sir!", Max said. "I will do my utmost to apprehend them and bring them to you. Rest assured. I will not fail you."

* * *

The next morning, as soon as the twin suns rose on the clear blue sky of Tatooine, Char and Rey woke up.

"Did you sleep well?", Char asked.

"I did. I was too tired to be bothered by anything. How about you?"

"Me too.", Char lied. In fact, he had barely gotten any sleep as he was thinking about his purpose in life almost the entire night.

Having woken up, the two of them began travelling once more. For hours they were marching across the sand dunes of Tatooine and could find no evidence of life. There was utter silence. The whole desert was one huge graveyard. Suddenly, about five or six figures appeared on the horizon. They were too far away for Char and Rey to see them clearly but they immediately shouted for help and waved their hands. As those figures came closer, Char and Rey saw that they were wearing a mask that covered their face and sand-shrouds. They were armed with some kind of laser muskets and upon seeing Char and Rey they opened fire. Rey ignited her lightsaber and deflected enemy fire. She then used the Force to push them away; it was as if a gust of wind hit them and they fell on the ground. But they immediately got up and began firing again. While they were busy with their enemy, Char and Rey had not realized that another figure was approaching them from the west.

Soon, that figure arrived. It was a man in his late twenties, with black and untidy beard and hair but a handsome face nonetheless, wearing a long brown Jedi robe. He was armed with a green lightsaber which glowed. The man charged at the raiders and made short work of them. Rey could see that the man was an excellent swordsman and that he combined agility with overwhelming force. She also noticed that his swordsmanship resembled that which Luke had taught her.

"Are you all right?", the man asked.

"Yes.", Rey replied. "Thank you for saving our lives."

"What were those creatures?", Char asked.

"You must not be natives, eh?", the man said. "Those are Tusken Raiders. Everyone who lives here is aware of them. They are nomadic people and are warlike. No one dares to come to this area due to them."

"So, what were you doing here?", Rey said.

The man noticed that she was holding a lightsaber and asked, "Were you trained by Master Luke?"

"Indeed. How did you know?"

He smiled. "Well, there aren't many Jedi masters left, are they? I am Jonathan Maek. I was once an apprentice to Master Luke. I was one of the few who managed to escape the massacre by Kylo Ren and his knights. I hid in this desert, hoping to avoid people. After a few vicious encounters with the Tusken Raiders, I was left alone by them as they were too afraid to attack me. I came here because I sensed a disturbance in the Force. Now I know why I felt this; you are a fellow Jedi."

Rey was overjoyed that they found Jonathan, and not only because he would help them get off the planet. For long, she felt a bit lonely. She was, along with Luke, the only Jedi and so she felt that other people could not fully understand what she was being through, what she felt in the Force, how she practiced her swordplay, how difficult was it to balance her emotions and sometimes avoid them in order to prevent falling to the dark side. Most people saw Jedi as awesome warriors with unimaginable powers and could not understand all the difficulties they had to face. Exactly because of their powers they had to be more disciplined and more careful of their emotions than most people. Now, she had found someone else who knew how it was to be a Force user.

"And who are you?", Jonathan asked Char.

"I am Char Bright and I am…"

Char was going to say that he was Admiral of the 18th fleet. But he then remembered that he was no longer an Admiral. He was not exactly sure what he was anymore and so he just said, "I am a friend of Rey."

Jonathan smiled. "Care to follow me to my home? I am sure that more Tusken Raiders will come this way so it will be better if we leave."

Char and Rey followed the Jedi to his home; a small building which was crude and simple to the extreme, with earthen walls and mud floors. As they walked inside Jonathan said, "I found it abandoned when I first came here. Since then, I have been living in this place. It is not much, but it is a home."

He then pointed them at a crude wooden table and said, "Please seat."

Rey and Char sat on two wooden chairs and Jonathan brought them two cups of wine. "Trust me, this is the best wine in the area.", he said.

"Where did you buy this?", Rey asked.

"There is a settlement about an hour's walk from here. It is a small and underpopulated village with only one market store. I buy what I need from there. Otherwise, how could I survive in this environment?"

He then proceeded to bring them two dishes, one was a roasted beef and the other was rice with vegetables. "I guess you must be hungry.", Jonathan said. "Please eat."

Char and Rey tasted the dishes and they were delicious. "You are an excellent cook.", Char admitted. He then sipped the wine and said, "And the wine too is excellent. I am surprised that there is such a good wine in a remote place like this."

"I too was surprised when I first came here.", a smiling Jonathan said.

"I have to agree with Char.", Rey said. "Your cooking is great."

After eating, Char asked, "So, how far is the nearest spaceport?"

"The nearest spaceport is Mos Eisley. If you rent a speeder in Toch Station, the settlement I told you about, you can reach it in a few hours. I can get you there if you want to."

"Thanks", Rey said, "but why don't you come with us? You can be of much more help if you join the Resistance than if you hide here on this desolate desert."

Jonathan sighed. "I… I have nothing to fight for. All those who I cared about died."

"There is still Master Luke.", she said.

"He will most likely see me as a disappointment, being a Jedi and deciding to hide here instead of fighting the First Order."

"I do not believe that. He will understand why you had to hide."

"Thing is, I am tired of fighting, of seeing friends dying. At nights I have dreams of that day when Kylo Ren massacred all of my friends and I had to flee, defeated, ashamed that I had to abandon my friends and ran away from my enemies in order to save my life."

Rey sighed. "I too watched a person close to me dying before my very own eyes."

She was of course referring to Han. She could still remember in every detail the moment when Kylo Ren suddenly ignited his lightsaber and stabbed his own father. "I understand how you must feel. You must feel guilty that you were not able to save the ones you cared about. But running away is not going to change what happened nor can it make you forget your past and erase that moment from your memory. You have to aid us in our fight against the First Order, if only to not let down those friends of yours who were killed by Kylo Ren."

Jonathan was silent for a moment. For once, he felt as someone knew what he had been through and could understand him. Her words indeed did make sense; he had to fight back against the First Order. Living like a hermit was pointless. "I…I shall come along with you."

Rey smiled. "It's good to hear that."

"But we should go tomorrow. It is already late and it will be late at night by the time we reach Toch Station. You may rest here."

Jonathan pointed at a crude bed and said, "I have only one bed unfortunately, so one of you will have to sleep on the floor."

"I will sleep on the floor.", Char said.

"Where will you sleep?", Rey asked Jonathan.

"I shall also sleep on the floor."

An hour later, Char was asleep on the floor and Rey lying on her bed when she heard a sound. She woke up and saw Jonathan heading out the house. She got up from the bed and also walked out. She saw that he was staring at the stars and silently thinking.

"It is a beautiful night, isn't it?", she said.

Jonathan was surprised to see Rey awake. "I am sorry to have wakened you up."

"No need to apologize. So, what are you doing here? Having a nightmare again?"

"Indeed.", Jonathan said. "That's the reason I am here. Gazing at the stars helps me relax."

"I too sometimes see the person I told you about in my dreams. I relive his death and feel powerless."

Jonathan smiled. "It is good to have someone who understands how I feel."

He paused for a moment and then said, "Regarding your friend, Char, be careful about him. I feel that there is a murderous aura in him."

"I can assure you that he is the nicest person I know.", Rey replied. "He… he just lost his way for a while."

"I see. But I can feel the Light and Darkness struggling inside him. He has not yet found his way. You must push him to the right direction and not let him lose his way again."

"I will."


	8. Escape to Yavin IV

Linkonpark100 and Guest, thanks for reviews. Linkonpark100, Char Bright is indeed a combination of Char Aznable and Bright Noa.

 _Chapter 8 – Escape to Yavin IV_

Char was on the bridge of a Star Destroyer and was surrounded by about ten officers, among them Max. Char was wearing a robe that was dark in color and had become singed while a hood covered his face. His eyes were yellow and glowing. Char and his officers were gazing at an immense fleet of Star Destroyers, Tie Fighters and Tie Bombers. The ships of the fleet seemed to be more numerous than the thousands of stars. A feeling of coldness and darkness could be felt all over the bridge. Nevertheless, all of the officers were smiling and seemed confident.

"My Lord", Max said, "we're ready for the final offensive that shall cripple the Republic."

Before Char could reply, his dream ended abruptly and he was shaken back into reality. Streaks of sunlight had penetrated the window and woken him up. He was lying on the floor of Jonathan's house. "That dream sure looked real…", he commented as he got up. He saw that no one was inside the house and so he made his way out. He saw Rey and Jonathan talking about something.

"Good morning.", he said as he approached them.

Jonathan smiled. "Hope you slept well last night. I am once again sorry for making you sleep on the floor."

"No need to apologize. I am a military man; I can handle a bit of hardship."

"We should be heading to Mos Eisley.", Rey said. "From there, we will be taking a ship to Yavin IV. "

"I will go with you up to Mos Eisley.", Char replied. "From there, I will see where I will be going."

"Why won't you come with me to Yavin IV?", Rey asked. "The First Order already considers you a traitor, so what are you going to do? Where will you go?"

"The past few days I've been thinking about going with you to the Resistance. But while you may be able to forgive me for my past actions, I do not think that the leadership of the Resistance will do so. They will most likely put me on trial and jail me."

"I will not let this happen.", Rey replied. "I will personally ask General Leia and Master Luke to forget about your past. You can make up for your wrongdoings by helping us against the First Order."

Char sighed. "I…damn, you always manage to persuade me. I will come to Yavin IV with you. Hopefully I shall not regret it."

Rey grinned. "I knew you would agree with me."

Char still believed that going to Yavin IV was a bad idea, but on the other hand he did not want to leave behind Rey once more. If he could, he wanted to follow her and be with her. Jonathan, who had been quietly listening all this, interrupted their conversation and said, "We should get going. We will have to walk for about an hour in order to reach Toch Station."

* * *

The three companions had been walking for almost half an hour. The glowing and radiating suns of Tatooine and the hellish heat made them sweat and exhausted. Jonathan, having lived in the desert for years, was somewhat less tired. He said, "In about half an hour, we will have reached Toch Station."

He smiled and then pointed at a small sand dune. "There is an old well there. Legend has it that people can see their fate in it. But none of the few people who have visited the well have seen anything. I certainly haven't."

"We should check it out.", Rey said. "They say that every legend has a bit of truth in it."

"Sure, follow me then."

Jonathan led Char and Rey to the well. It was made of stone and went deep down but there was no water inside, only sand. Rey and Char looked inside hoping to see if the legend was true. Rey could see only the sand and dust. Char, however, could see a dark figure inside the well. His face became ashen white and he was terrified. "Wh…", he stuttered. The figure was clad in dark robe and a hood hid his face. Before he could take a closer look, he was interrupted by Rey.

"What did you see?", she asked.

"Don't you see the dark figure?", he replied.

Rey looked inside the well once more but saw nothing. "No.", she replied. Char too looked once again but saw no one this time. "The sun must have hit me hard.", Char said and laughed.

"Indeed.", Jonathan replied. "You are not the first one to be tricked by this desert's illusions."

* * *

When Jonathan, Rey and Char reached Toch Station, they found it empty of people. A gust of dry wind winded through the maze of houses, whose windows were shattered. All streets were deserted and silence reigned. Seeing this, Jonathan rushed forward. There was cold sweat on his forehead and a look of surprise on his face. He couldn't formulate a thought and his face was washed blank with confusion.

"This place looks abandoned…", Char said. "Didn't you tell us that there are people here?"

"There are…", Jonathan replied. "This Station never had many people but it was not abandoned and had some modest traffic. Where did everyone go?"

Rey looked around and suddenly saw through a broken window what looked like a white figure inside one of the houses. "There is someone there!", she said.

"I have a bad feeling about this…", Jonathan said. He then noticed that the white figure threw something at them. "Look out!"

A deafening sound broke the silence that reigned in the Station as a grenade exploded near the three companions. They were barely able to dodge the grenade and the ensuing explosion. The white figure threw another grenade but Char quickly pulled a blaster pistol from his belt and fired at it, making it explode in mid-air. Rey ignited her lightsaber and rushed inside the abandoned building, searching for the white figure. The entrance hall was roomy and eerie. There was no trace of the mysterious figure. It seemed that the enemy, having thrown his grenades, had retreated deep into the house. As Rey walked slowly inside, she could barely see anything due to the lack of lighting. Only the glowing light of her lightsaber allowed her to see where she was going. She peered through the darkness, but she found no one within it, making her stomach knot. As she slowly moved forward, she stumbled on something; to her shock, it was a mutilated corpse. She let out a scream but quickly regained her composure.

Rey was sure that the killer was nearby. He must surely have heard her. She suddenly felt an urgent sense of danger. She closed her eyes and let the Force guide her. She could hear the slight sound of footsteps. She could hear the enemy pointing his blaster rifle at her. Rey quickly turned around and used her lightsaber to deflect the enemy fire. The enemy had finally revealed himself; he was a Stormtrooper. Rey rushed forward and stabbed her lightsaber through the soldier's chest, instantly killing him.

Having killed the enemy, Rey ran out of the house. Upon getting out of the abandoned building, she was met with a rain of enemy fire which she was barely able to dodge. Jonathan and Char were in no better position as they were being fired at by Stormtroopers from all directions. Jonathan deflected enemy fire with his lightsaber while Char fired back with his laser pistol and with accurate shots killed one after the other the Stormtroopers. At that same time, Rey was rushing forward at the enemy, wielding her lightsaber. She approached a squad of five Stormtroopers and used the Force to push them back. As they fell on the ground, Rey quickly finished them off with her lightsaber.

"We are not going to last long here!", Char said. "Stormtroopers are coming from seemingly every direction."

"We should get a speeder.", Jonathan said. "There is one in the local market. You and Rey go there and take the speeder while I get the attention of the enemy."

Rey and Char ran towards the local market while Jonathan, using his lightsaber and Force push, was attacking the Stormtroopers and getting their full attention. They quickly reached the market; outside the building was a landspeeder guarded by two Stormtroopers. Seeing them, both Stormtroopers opened fire. Char fired back, shooting on the head one of the Stormtroopers. The other, undeterred by his comrade's death, aimed at Char and was about to fire when Rey sliced her lightsaber across his chest, killing him. Rey and Char then jumped onto the speeder and headed back to save Jonathan.

Jonathan was being overwhelmed by enemy fire and had been injured on his left shoulder, which was bleeding profoundly. More than twenty Stormtroopers surrounded him and were firing from all directions. Although Jonathan was fast with the lightsaber, he couldn't possibly deflect all enemy fire at once. A shot injured his left leg and he let out a scream. He used the Force to push away the Stormtroopers in front of him but a trooper fired at him from behind his back and hit him on the right shoulder. Jonathan turned around and with a swift move beheaded the trooper. But he was exhausted and barely able to walk. He vomited blood and was about to collapse when the speeder arrived. Char helped Jonathan jump onto the speeder. He lied on his seat, bleeding and sweating. He was breathing heavily.

"Are you alright?", Rey asked.

Jonathan smiled. "As you can probably see, no, but we do not have time to discuss this."

The landspeeder sped forward and, dodging a rain of enemy fire, left behind Toch Station.

* * *

The Star Destroyer 'Conqueror' was floating above Tatooine while Tie Fighters were descending on the planet to scout its vast deserts. In the 'Conqueror', Max was in his private chambers and lying on his bed, resting for a few minutes. He had gotten a report last night that the escape pod Rey and Char used had been spotted nearby Toch Station and so he had ordered a regiment of Stormtroopers to occupy that Station, massacring all its inhabitants and setting up an ambush for the two fugitives. Max was sure that Char and Rey would head to the Station if they survived the desert.

The door knocked and an officer walked inside. He saluted Max and said, "Sir, your prediction was indeed correct; Rey and Char did show up in Toch Station."

"Did you capture them?", Max asked, jumping from his bed.

"Well….we…I…mean…", the officer stuttered, "We were not able to capture them; they escaped. They had the help of another Jedi too."

"Another Jedi?", Max asked. "That's impossible! All Jedi except Skywalker and Rey were killed by Kylo Ren."

"Apparently Lord Ren did not kill this one."

"Apparently, if you do not find them and bring them to me dead or alive, you will not last long here!", Max angrily shouted.

* * *

Jonathan, Rey and Char were walking in the docking bays of Mos Eisley. Now that they had reached the spaceport, they had to find a pilot to hire to get them to Yavin IV. But this was easier said than done. None of them had a significant amount of money on them and finding the right pilot could prove difficult.

"I didn't expect that finding a pilot would be more difficult than escaping Toch Station.", Jonathan said. He was walking slowly due to his injuries but his bleeding had been stopped.

"Do we have to hire a pilot?", Char asked. "We can steal a ship. I know how to pilot a starship."

"I do not believe that stealing ships is what Jedi do.", Rey replied.

"What about this ship then?", Char said and pointed an a First Order shuttle that just landed on the docking bay. The shuttle had three wings: one tall, dorsal stabilizer that remained stationary, and two lower wings that would extend during flight and fold upward for landing. The shuttle was mounted with two forward-facing double laser cannons.

As soon as the ship landed, the outer hatch opened and the ramp was lowered. One lone Stormtrooper got out of the shuttle. Upon seeing Rey, Jonathan and Char, he immediately walked towards them and removed his helmet revealing that he was in fact Finn.

"Finn, it's good to see you are alive!", Rey said and smiled.

Finn laughed. "I am hard to kill. After you were captured, I was about to break into the cells but then I learned that you had been saved by Char. So I disguised myself as a Stormtrooper and stole a shuttle."

"Don't want to interrupt your friendly conversation", Char said, "but the First Order will not take long to realize that we are here, so let's leave as soon as possible."

"Yes, we should leave.", Finn said. He then pointed at Jonathan and asked, "And who is this guy?"

"A fellow Jedi.", Rey replied.

"What? I thought the only Jedi were you and Luke. Whatever, let's go."

So, Finn, Rey, Char and Jonathan rushed into the shuttle. Finn ran to the cockpit, sat on the pilot's seat, pressed a few buttons, pulled a lever and the shuttle took off.

* * *

While the shuttle was journeying to Yavin IV, Char was sitting alone and thinking. So much had changed in his life in those few days. What purpose did he have in his life? What was he going to do now? He had asked himself those questions back in Tatooine and had no answer back then. He asked them again now and he still had no answer. 'What am I going to do in Yavin IV?', he wondered. 'When I was an Admiral for the First Order, I had a clear purpose; to rise to the top, to crush my enemies. Now, I have no purpose. The Resistance will not trust me to lead a fleet. I am no Jedi like Rey or Jonathan. What use will I be to them?'.

The only thing that Char was certain about was his will to follow Rey wherever she went. When he went to join the First Order, he had left her behind in Jakku and had always in his heart regretted that decision. Now, he was not going to do the same mistake again. Rey was more than his only friend. Only when he was with her could he feel a sense of happiness, could he forget all about battles and glory. She was the only person that could make him laugh and sincerely smile. When he was with her, he could ignore the entire world; he focused entirely on her. That was more than a simple friendship.

* * *

When the shuttle landed on Yavin IV and its crew walked out of it, they were greeted by Luke. When he saw Rey, he smiled and said, "I am glad that you are well. I had heard that you were captured and I feared the worst."

He then saw Jonathan. His face became ashen white and he gaped with astonishment. It took a second or two for the fact that Jonathan was alive to sink in, even though he was right before his eye. "I…thought you had died."

Jonathan fell on his knees and lowered his head. With tears in his eyes he said, "Master, I failed you. I could only hide from the enemy. I was…too afraid."

Luke's eyes slowly filled with tears. "Please, get up!", Luke said and helped Jonathan get up. "I…you don't know how happy I am to see that you are alive. You were always my most promising disciple. And you did not fail me; I was the one who failed everyone by failing to teach Kylo Ren and thus allowing him to fall to the dark side."

"That is not true Master!", Jonathan retorted. "You should not blame yourself for Ren's fall. It was caused by his greed for power. He has only himself to blame for this."

Luke then noticed Char. He approached him and asked, "Admiral Char, I suppose?"

"Yes", Char replied, "although I am no Admiral anymore."

"Jedi do not believe in killing prisoners and I am indeed relieved that Rey did not have to kill you.", Luke said. "But although I will make sure that your life shall be spared, I will have to discuss with the leadership of the Resistance about what will happen to you. For the moment, you will have to be temporary detained in the cells."

Rey intervened. "Master, Char has already left behind the First Order and has since saved my life more than once. Why detain him? He is of no threat to us. He can make up for his past wrongdoings by aiding us."

Before Luke could reply, Char said, "If Master Skywalker feels safer with me in the cells, then I have no problem with that."

"The detainment was meant to be only temporary.", Luke assured Rey. "But since you can guarantee for him, I will let him free. But he will have to come with me to see the leadership of the Resistance."

Luke led Char and Rey to the headquarters of the base. There, Leia and the rest of the Resistance leaders were waiting. Leia was surprised to see Char; she had heard that Rey had been captured and managed to escape but she had not heard any news about Char and so she thought that he must still have been with the First Order.

"It's good to have you back.", Leia said to Rey. "But what is Char doing here? I thought you were captured, so how did you manage to capture him?"

"I did not capture him. He helped me escape from the First Order.", Rey explained. "He has left behind the First Order, so I must ask you to forgive him for his past wrongdoings and give him a second chance."

"I understand that you are old friends but he still has-"

"General, he can make up for his mistakes by aiding the Resistance.", Rey said, interrupting Leia. "Please, I can guarantee that he has turned over a new leaf."

"Is that really so?", one of the Resistance leaders asked. "Or is he using your relationship to fool you?"

"I believe in Rey's judgment of characters.", Leia replied to him. "If Char was truly an evil person, Rey would have not befriended him in the first place. I believe in second chances and we do not kill prisoners; if we did so, we would be no better than the First Order."

She then turned to Char and asked him, "Why did you leave the First Order?"

Leia and the rest in the room expected him to say that he realized how cruel the First Order was or that he saw how truly evil they were; that he was just temporary blinded by his quest for glory. Char simply said, "Because of Rey. I could not be her enemy."

Char did not care that much about the brutality of the First Order. Back in Jakku he had gotten used to the idea that this was a brutal world and the savagery of war only reinforced this belief of him. What he cared about was Rey. If it was not for Rey, he would have still remained in the First Order.

"If it wasn't for Rey, you would still be Admiral of the First Order?", Leia asked.

"Indeed. I must be honest with you. I have come to the Resistance not because I care that much for your cause, but because Rey is here."

'I would follow her to the ends of the world.', he thought but did not say. He was always unwilling to let out his emotions, especially in public. He had already said too much.

When Rey heard Char say those words, she was instantly reminded of their time together back in Jakku. One night, when they were lying on a sand dune and watching the bright stars on the night sky of Jakku, he had told her that he would follow her to the ends of the world. She still remembered those words and she could understand what Char was thinking right now.

"Very well", Leia said, "since Rey is willing to assure us that you have turned over a new leaf and since you have left behind the First Order, I shall allow you to stay here. You may be of help after all."

Rey could not help but smile. Char too smiled although briefly. He knew that Leia and the Resistance leaders would not trust him with any important task and he was still wondering of what use he could be to them and what his purpose in life was. But at last he could be with Rey and that was what mattered to him the most.


	9. The Elder

Gu Long and Guest, thanks for the reviews.

 _Chapter 9 – The Elder_

Char was strolling in the jungle of Yavin IV. The air was moist, he was surrounded by thick trees, plants and brush and he was constantly attacked by leeches and mosquitoes. The sun was passing through any miniature hole it could reach and illuminated the green background. He had been warned not to go too deep into the jungle but he had not heeded that warning, mostly because he was bored and had nothing else to do. The leadership of the Resistance would not trust him with any important tasks and Rey was training with Luke and Jonathan. He hadn't seen her in days.

"From Admiral to…stroller!", Char said. "Not to say that strolling in the jungle proves to be far less enjoyable than I thought!"

As Char was walking forward, he saw the entrance to a cave. Guarding the cave were two huge marble statues of lions. Their look was ferocious; they looked as if they were to suddenly come to life and charge at any intruders. Char had not been told about that cave and so it ignited his interest.

He searched the ground for a stone. When he found a large one, he threw it at the cave's entrance. This was a smart move to make, as suddenly poisonous darts darted out of the lions' mouths. If he had walked into the cave without first doing this, he would have been killed by those darts.

"Smart.", he commented and walked forward carefully and slowly, while looking at the ground for any booby traps. The cave mouth was of impenetrable blackness. As Char stepped in he watched his shadow dissolve into the surrounding darkness. Small, loose stones littered the floor.

"I cannot see anything...", he murmured. He quickly got out of the cave, grabbed a branch of a tree and used it as torch. He then walked back into the cave. The torch created a flickering orange glow that allowed Char to see where he was going. As he walked deeper into the cave, he noticed that on his right side there was a drawing on the cave wall. It depicted people dressed in Jedi robes holding lightsabers and fighting. Char was amazed by this painting and touched it. Suddenly, the earth shook, the cave's entrance collapsed and darts shot out from both sides of the cave from hidden mechanisms.

Char sprinted forward, trying to dodge the darts, some of which flew right in front of his face. As he was running, he noticed that the cave was leading to a room. He jumped forward and got inside the room. He then let out a sigh of relief. "That was close!".

Char inspected the room, trying to find a way out. He saw that on the left corner of the room there was a wooden door. "This must be the exit.", he said. "Or I hope so… Otherwise, I will be stuck here."

As he was about to walk there, he noticed that the floor leading up to the door was made up of stone tiles. Half of them were black and the other half white. "I wonder which one is safe to walk on…"

He threw a coin he had with him on a black tile. Nothing happened. "I guess the black tiles must be the safe ones."

As he walked on the black tile, suddenly he heard a 'click' sound. He then heard the sound of something cracking on the roof. The roof suddenly cracked and hundreds of snakes began falling on the floor. "What the hell?!", he shouted. He rushed forward, dodging snakes falling from above and trying to make his way to the door. Suddenly, a snake fell on his head; Char's heart beat fast. He was terrified but with a quick move he grabbed it and threw it away. "Why wouldn't I stay in the base?".

As he reached the door, he smiled but his mood soon dampened. To his dismay, the door had no handle to open it. Seeing the snakes crawling towards him, Char charged at the door and crushed it. He then sprinted to the next room. To his horror, it was littered with skeletons. Spiders laced the walls with cobwebs of intricate beauty. As he walked around the room, he saw that there was a beautiful medallion around the neck of one of the skeletons. The medallion had a bright red stone on it that glowed.

"That medallion sure is beautiful."

Char took the medallion from the skeleton and placed it in his pocket. "It's not like he is going to need it...", he said. He walked further forward and saw a pathway illuminated by light. "This must be the exit."

Char followed the light and got out of the cave. He let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "I found my way out!"

"Quite impressive!", a middle-aged man said. The man was blind and walking with the help of a cane. He was bearded and had short black hair. "No one had ever got out of this cave alive. Haven't you been warned by anyone of this cave?"

Char was surprised to see the man. "You are…?"

The man grinned. "I am Jai, but you can simply call me 'old man'."

"You…are with the Resistance?"

Jai laughed. "No; I'm just an old man living as a hermit. I am content with staying out of the affairs of this turbulent world and spending my time strolling and cooking."

He then paused for a moment and sized up Char. "So, are _you_ with the Resistance? You do look like a military man..."

"I suppose so..."

"You are a military officer?"

"No. Not anymore..."

"So, what exactly are you doing?"

"Nothing.", Char awkwardly admitted and sighed. He was an energetic person, a man of action. The thought of him spending his days doing nothing irritated and despaired him.

Jai warmly smiled. He patted Char on the shoulder and said, "This may not be a bad thing actually. What is your name?"

"Char..."

"Well, Char, take this piece of advice from me; it may be better to stay out of the world's affairs. Instead of pursuing power and glory, you can focus on things that really matter and live a quite and happy life."

He paused. "Why don't you come to my house? Its been a long time since I had a visitor."

Char sighed. "It's not like I have anything better to do..."

Jai led Char to his house; a hut to be more precise. The hut crouched in the shadows like a sleeping bear. It had wooden walls with a small opening at the front. "Please, come inside. I will brew you some tea.", Jai said and Char followed him inside the hut. Char sat on a mat, as the hut had no chairs. There was only one small round wooden table. Jai quickly brought a cup of green tea whose fragrance filled the hut. As Char sipped their tea, he marveled at how tasty it was.

"I see you like my tea.", Jai smilingly said. "I will bring you some cookies too. Its a recipe I learned from a famous cook from Alderaan."

Jai then quickly brought a plate of cookies. Their aromatic fragrance overpowered every other scent that lingered in the room. Its delectable aroma pervaded the air- a melange of honey dew, orange preserves and dabs of crackling nuts. Char crunched a cookie and nodded in approval. "Its very tasty. You are an excellent cook. If I was still Admiral, I would have promoted you to be my personal chef."

Jai grinned. "Thank you for your praise."

He then sat on a mat, lit up a wooden pipe of his and began smoking. Grand puffs of smoke curled around his head. "So, you were an Admiral? Of the Resistance, I suppose."

"No. I was Admiral of the First Order.", Char admitted.

"Oh?", Jai exclaimed. "That is most interesting. Why did you join the Resistance and gave up your position?"

"Because of...love?"

Jai laughed. "I see! You remind me of myself when I was young. Unfortunately my story did not have a happy ending..."

Jai could feel the muscles of his chin tremble. His eyes dripped a few tears but he quickly brushed aside all memories of his past and put up a smile. "To return back to you, I am impressed with the fact that you made your way into the Jedi temple and managed to get out. No one has ever achieved that, as far as I know at least."

"Jedi temple?", Char asked.

"Yes. What do you think this cave you walked into was? The Resistance has issued a warning to its soldiers to not approach the cave. The few foolish enough to go inside have never come out. Weren't you warned about this?"

"Apparently not..."

"This temple was build by Jedi fugitives fleeing from the Sith thousands of years ago. At that time, most Jedi had been eliminated and so this temple provided safe haven for the few who had survived. For some reason, the temple was abandoned. Locals name it 'the cursed cave' and report seeing the ghosts of the old Jedi. When the Rebels established their base here, they heeded the locals' advice and forbid their soldiers from going into the cave. The Resistance follows their example and it too has warned its soldiers to refrain from entering the old temple."

"I can assure you that getting out of this cave was no easy task.", Char said. "I was barely able to escape. That place was filled with booby traps."

Jai thought about it a for a moment. "You may be the one."

"The one?"

"I have been wanting for some time to find someone capable enough to learn my swordplay. While I do not have much interest in the affairs of this world and like to live as a hermit, I do find that it would be a waste if I do not pass on my skills to someone. By making your way out of this temple, you have impressed me enough to take you as a disciple."

Char smiled. "You? A fighter?"

Jai smirked. "What? You think because I am a blind old man I cannot beat you up? Try me."

"I do not want to fight you."

Jai pointed his cane at Char's direction. "It is a friendly spar. I will not hold it against you if you attack me."

Char swiftly attacked Jai with his right fist. Jai used his cane to first block Char's fist and then hit him on the chest. The whooshing sound of the cane revealed the great strength put behind each movement of Jai.

Char gaped in astonishment. "How did you do that?"

Jai smiled. "I am blind, not deaf. One does not need his eyes to be a great warrior. In fact, eyes can be a hindrance since they distract you. You need to use all your senses, not just rely on what you can see."

"I see... Well, it may be of value to learn your swordplay after all..."

Jai laughed. "Good! But I am not someone who tolerates slackers. You will have to work hard."

"I am more than happy to oblige. I had been bored to death in the past few days. I need to work, to do something."

"Oh, I can assure you that you will have lot of work to do..."

Jai grabbed a wooden staff and threw it at Char. "Lets' go out", he said. Char followed him outside the hut. Trees tall as cathedrals surrounded them, and a strange green light shimmered through the vast canopy of leaves. Char took on a defensive posture. Jai lunged forward and his cane collided with Char's staff. A loud sound was heard and it seemed like the earth shook.

"Good!", Jai said. "You are indeed skilled."

Char pointed his staff at Jai and thrust it towards him. As the staff sped forward, a loud sound was heard, revealing the strength behind the thrust. Jai did not even move his feet. His cane flickered and hit Char's shoulder.

"Too slow!", Jai barked. "You must attack faster!"

Char attacked again; this time he pretended to attack Jai's head and midway retreated by a step and changed the direction of the staff to Jai's chest. Jai was of course able to see through this deception and quickly blocked Char's staff with his cane, but he smiled. "Good! Now that is some good fighting."

* * *

Char had returned back to his room in the Resistance base after training for about an hour with Jai. He was exhausted and sweating. He went to the bath and washed his face with some cool, fresh water. He then took some time to examine the medallion he had found in the Jedi temple. Its red stone glowed brightly and dazzled Char with its beauty. "It truly is one of a kind!", he said. He then put the medallion around his neck. It was at that moment when he hard someone knocking the door.

"Who is it?", he asked.

"Its me.", Rey said.

"Come in."

Rey walked into the room and smilingly said, "Hi. We haven't talked for days. How have you been doing?"

"Well, I suppose... It would be better if we could spend more time together though."

"We can go for a stroll together now, if you want.", Rey replied. "I would love to chat with you. We have lot to say."

Char grinned. "I am happy to oblige."

* * *

Char and Rey strolled outside the base. It was late in the night. They gazed at the millions of bright stars and the silver glow of the moon on the dark sky. The stars looked like fireflies, illuminating the atramentous curtain of sky.

"So, how has is your training going?", Char asked.

"Pretty well, actually. But enough of talking about the training! Lets forget all about Jedi, wars and everything bothersome.", Rey said and smiled. Her smile was warm, genuinely sweet.

Rey pointed at the bright stars and said, "I remember back in Jakku we used to gaze at the stars. Now, after so many years, we still gaze together at the stars."

"You always wanted to travel around the Galaxy. You were ever curious about other worlds."

"In Jakku you were the only person who cared about me. The best memories I have are the ones I share with you. When you joined the First Order, I thought I could hate you but I was fooling myself."

She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I _love_ you."

"What?", Char said. He was both taken aback and instantly filled with joy. He had been thinking about this day and night since he met again Rey but did not dare to speak of this.

"That's was why I avoided you in the past few days.", Rey admitted. "Jedi are not supposed to love, I didn't know how to bring it up to you but I could not deny it. You were always more than a best friend for me."

Char was at loss of words. He simply smiled and said, "I too love you."

Rey moved her head closer to Char. He sat frozen, from both fear and excitement. She leaned in, so her forehead rested against his. They closed their eyes. Both their breaths were shaking. Rey gently leaned in and kissed Char's warms lips. They pulled apart and took shaky, shallow breaths. Unable to contain themselves anymore, Char held Rey's head in his hands and pulled her into a fiery and passionate kiss.

"Once the war is over", Rey said, "we can return back to Jakku and be live together for the rest of our lives."

"That would be the best thing that could happen."

Char could now understand what Jai meant when he advised him to stop chasing after glory and focus on things that matter. All those years he had been focused on climbing to the top and gaining glory and power. He had forgotten what a genuine smile was like, what love and affection were like. Now, without any grand title or troops under his command, he was happier than had ever been and genuinely joyous.

"We should go back to the base.", Rey said. "I feel a bit tired. It must have been the training and all that excitement."

"Well, it _is_ late in the night, so we should get going."

* * *

After he had bid goodnight to Rey, Char returned to his room. For some reason, he was feeling move alive than ever and energetic. He wasn't sure if it was because of his kiss with Rey or due to some other reason. As he took the medallion off his neck, he noticed that its red stone was brighter than ever. He could almost sense a feeling of prowess coming from the stone.

"Whatever this medallion is", Char said, "it is more than just pretty. It must be a Jedi artifact. I can feel as if it has a life of its own. When I touch it, I can feel as if it holds some kind of power."


End file.
